Aftermath
by Perseus20
Summary: Full summary inside. Spoilers for Season 9, contains OC's. Thanks for taking a look! Rated T for violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Full Summary: A month has passed since Garmadon was locked up and the people took control of the City of Ninjago. The Ninja are helping with relief and construction work, the Monastery is being rebuilt, and they're receiving tons and tons of praise for saving the land once again. At the same time, though, Lloyd is irked by his father's words, and just when he thinks it can't get much worse, he meets four new Elemental Masters that are... Well. You'll find out. Rated T for violence.**

 **I am back! This time with a new story. Although I had mixed feelings about the new seasons, with their designs being changed, and Lloyd's voice being different, and the little change in the lore pissed me off, I have come to say that the new seasons are growing on me. I think they have taught me that looks don't matter. It's the people. And yeah, there are people who are upset by the changes, but everyone is entitled to their own opinions.**

 **Anyway, please read and review. This is also not a place to vent your feelings. Stuff them up and enjoy the writing. Thank you.**

 **I do not own Ninjago, it** **belongs to LEGO and Cartoon Network.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter One**_

 _"You're not my son."_

Lloyd shoved off his blankets and swung out of bed. His breaths were fast. It was hard to breathe. He hoped he wasn't having another panic attack. Covering his face, he tried to steady his breaths and calm his rapid heartbeat in the way Zane had taught him when he experienced a panic attack. As he came down from his scare, he looked around his room, taking in the barren bedroom. Although the real estate agent was able to get them a four bedroom house that wasn't demolished in Garmadon's attacks, the room was still empty and devoid of his belongings. The only real thing he had was the picture of him and the others, as well as his clothes. Besides, it wasn't like they were going to be there forever. The Monastery was being rebuilt, after two years of being reduced to ash.

The Ninja were helping with relief and construction efforts while they waited. The city went from smoky piles of rubble to almost being totally rebuilt. As they cleared everything, the casualties were minimal, but injuries were at an all time high. Lloyd felt personally responsible, even when everyone reassured him it wasn't his fault.

It still felt like it was his fault, though.

Finally, he stood up and pulled on a jacket and grabbed his shoes.

The night was cold and uninviting, but was clear and the air was fresh. The stars glimmered brightly and the moon shone soothingly and beautifully. As he walked through the city, he didn't have a destination in mind. He just walked until his feet hurt, and then...

He looked up to see the palace standing in front of him. Scaffolding surrounded it, indicating the workers were starting to work on the outside. Tape saying it was under construction crisscrossed in front of the doors. Lloyd glanced around before walking up the stairs slowly, ducking under the tape, and pushing open the door and slipping in. He shut it behind him, stuffing his hands into his pockets afterward and then looked around at the remodeled inside. There were still drop cloths on the floor, paint cans on top to hold it down. Some scaffolding were still around, packaged banners on some of the levels.

Lloyd walked through the hallways, taking in the new decor and colors, glad that they were changing up the place a bit. He passed the area that once held the second Oni mask, gave it a glance and continued on to find the library. If anything, he wanted something to read. Stepping into the enormous library, he set out to search for something related to the current problem: the fear of the Oni returning. He found the history section, and found a few relating to the Oni. He made himself comfortable in a seating area, and begin to read.

* * *

"Hey, wake up."

Someone was nudging his leg.

Lloyd let out a groan and opened his eyes to see unnerving silver eyes staring down at him, a perfect black eyebrow raised. He sat up fast, still clutching the book and looked around, seeing three other women stacking the books he had found neatly. He blinked, then looked up at the woman still looking down at him with interest and amusement.

"Uh, what... Did... did I sleep here?" The woman checked her wrist for a fake watch.

"Well, considering it's eight in the morning, I assume so." The other three snickered. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, before opening them and seeing her hand extended to him. He took it and she hauled him up with incredible strength.

"Um, thanks." He clutched the book. "Who are you? Are you guys workers?" The woman shook her head.

"I'm Alyx. This is Camille, Ashe and Diana. We guard the palace while the workers are here."

As soon as she said that, he finally took in their appearances.

Alyx had black hair cut in a short pixie cut that looked recently cut, loose curly bangs framing both sides of her face. Her eyes were silver, like how the moon was last night. Her skin was tan and pretty, but her outfit is what intrigued him the most. It resembled their ninja gis. It was black, with touches of red, blue and purple. The top robes crisscrossed into each other and were tucked into her pants, but it wasn't bulky at all. All of her protective padding was black as well. The trim on the right side of her robes was red while the other was blue. Her belt was black and outlined with purple. Two straps, one going over her shoulder and then down her body met with another one that was around her waist. A few closed loops were on the waist strap, where throwing daggers were sheathed. Other than the daggers, she didn't have any other weapons on her. She wore two thigh straps, but it didn't look like she had anything in them. Her pants were plain black, as well as her shoes. In the middle of her chest pad was the symbol of Yin and Yang.

Camille had silver dyed hair that was cut in a short bob that framed her face well. Her eyes were steel gray, but seemed bright against her dark skin. Her gi was silvery gray. The top pinned at her right shoulder. A black weapon's strap went from her left shoulder and met a waist strap that buckled on her side, a spear attached to the back of the strap. A shoulder guard was on her right shoulder, held together by a black guard, and then on her chest, like Alyx's, was a black chest pad. Her pants were gray, too, but her shoes were black as well. Her gi belt was black. She also wore a belt with a few pouches on it and he didn't want to know what they contained. In the middle of the chest pad was the Elemental symbol for Metal.

Diana had purplish colored hair that was tied into a braid that hung over her shoulder. Her eyes were bright blue and her skin was tan. A darker beauty mark sat next to her right eye. Her gi was teal and quite beautiful. The top robes reminded him of a kimono but with the collar a bit more tighter. On the left side was the same black shoulder pad, with a right shoulder guard. She also had a weapon's strap, this time on her right shoulder, a blade attached to the back. Two thin belts held a few sheathed throwing stars, and her pants were black with a teal line on the sides. In the middle of her chest pad was the Elemental symbol for Nature.

Ashe had pale blonde hair tied in a ponytail braid that was probably shoulder length. Bangs framed the side of face, the end curled upwards. Her eyes seemed to change color every time she blinked and her skin was fair and covered in freckles. Her gi was interesting. The colors white, purple, blue, red and even pink were on her gi. Like the other three, she also wore protective padding, with a few belts here and there containing throwing stars and daggers. Her main color was white, but wore a blue gi belt, red belts containing the throwing stars and knives, a purple knee brace along with the kneepads, and pink striped gloves. In the middle of the chest pad was the Elemental symbol for Time.

He almost backed away at the symbol, but remained calm. Although they all were beautiful, Alyx intrigued him the most. She had a scar that was dangerously close to her right eye, and another straight one across the bridge of her nose. You'd think it'd mar her face, but it only amplified her beauty.

"Why Yin and Yang?" The words were out of his mouth before he could stop himself. They looked surprised at his question and Alyx glanced down at the symbol.

"Uh, it's a long story." She tilted her head and gave him a once-over, then raised her eyebrow. "You look like you could use a hot shower and some breakfast." At the mention of breakfast, Lloyd thrust the book into Alyx's hands.

"Oh my god, breakfast! The others are going to kill me!" He quickly ran for the exit, waving and looking over his shoulder. "It was nice meeting you!" He didn't see the doorframe, and Alyx opened her mouth to warn him but it was too late. He smacked into it hard, stumbling back at the force, before shaking his head, his hand on his forehead. Lloyd gave a shaky smile before he managed to actually make it out of the door as he heard someone speak.

"You know, for the Green Ninja, he's not very coordinated."

"No. No, he is not."

* * *

When they walked into the library for their routine inspection before they cleared the workers to start their work, Alyx did not expect to see open and stacked books everywhere, and she certainly didn't expect to see the Green Ninja laying against the wall still clutching a book. The right side of his hair was pushed up, his sweater hood underneath his head as a makeshift pillow. The barest of skin peaked out from a sliver from where his sweater and sweats met, revealing fair and slightly freckled flesh. He looked so peaceful, Alyx did not want to wake him up just yet. They made a plan to clean up the books quietly without trying to wake him, but when Alyx reached for the book he was holding, he let out a noise and curled up into a ball, hugging the book closer to his chest. Alyx had made a huff of annoyance, scratched her head, and then froze when he murmured "Dad" and "Rumi". But both words sounded distressed, and just as she thought, his eyebrows furrowed in worry, and his face scrunched up. Even though he was really cute sleeping like so, Alyx had to wake him up. She nudged him with her foot a couple of times, making him whine in protest the first two times, and she looked at her friends with a look of help. Their faces were red from holding back their laughter and smiles, and Alyx took one more breath and tapped him with her foot a bit harder. He woke up, she introduced them, and then a panicked look came to his face when she mentioned breakfast. As he thrust the book back into her hands, his hand brushed against her own, and she could feel the power just by the brush.

And then he slammed into the doorframe, gave an embarrassed smile, and quickly left.

They stared at the door for a bit longer, before Alyx looked down at the book. _What are the Oni?_ Was what the title said. Alyx blinked.

"Apparently, he was very focused about the Oni." Camille said. Alyx turned around to see Ashe flipping through a few pages, her eyebrows furrowed. Why would Lloyd want to read stuff about the Oni?

"Man, the stuff in here is dark." Ashe murmured.

"The Oni were shapeshifters and deceivers. Their whole life is a lie from the minute that they're born." Diana replied.

"But Mystake is an Oni!" Camille yelped. "She's so nice! ...Sometimes." Alyx rolled her eyes and stacked the book on top of the others.

"Cam, go tell the workers they're cleared for construction. In the meantime, let's get the books back in their place." Alyx sighed. "We have a lot to do."

* * *

Lloyd managed to make it back to their current place of living while the Monastery was being rebuilt, take a shower and change before he heard a knock on his door.

"Lloyd! Breakfast is ready!" Lloyd sighed in relief. Good, breakfast was a bit late this morning. He opened the door to see Nya adjusting her sweater, her longer hair tied into a neat ponytail, similar to the way Alyx's was earlier.

He blinked, saw Alyx, and then the vision vanished.

"Come on, Zane and Pixal made waffles!" He watched her walk down the hall before frowning and following, a thought now coming to his head.

Why did Alyx and Nya look so similar? And just who were these new masters?


	2. Chapter 2

**Edit: When Lloyd said Nya had her hair in a ponytail similar to Alyx's, I meant since it was pinned back, it looked like her hair was shorter and thus looking like Alyx's short hair.**

 **I do not own Ninjago, it** **belongs to LEGO and Cartoon Network.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Two**_

Alyx watched as the crane moved with the pillar clamped in between the claw, a couple of other workers making motions to go slow, and finally to slowly lower the pillar into the hole. Two workers took the pillar and stabilized it, aligning it with the hole before slowly lowering it down.

Camille worked on making some metal reinforcements for the walls, giving it some extra protection from any other attacks that might come in the future. Ashe helped workers transport some materials with her powers that they had limited hands to do so. Diana helped some decorators and workers with the inside and outside work with decor and all that. And Alyx monitored the work, did patrols to make sure there weren't any lurkers around and stood guard. It was a brisk cold morning but the sun was quickly warming up the air. She was quite glad she designed her gi in a way that was warm but breathable.

Her thoughts kept drifting back to Lloyd and how they found him earlier this morning. The way he murmured the names in distress made her realize that he was probably having a nightmare. And he probably had more before she even met him, and she didn't blame him. Who wouldn't have nightmares after what he's been through? Even though it wasn't her place, she wondered if he was getting help with the nightmares, if he was having them. Maybe he was talking to the other ninja about it. Whatever was happening, she actually cared about his wellbeing and just hoped he was getting needed help.

"Hey." She nearly jumped out of her shoes and turned around to see Lloyd looking up at her from the bottom of the steps. Alyx chuckled and hopped down to stand next to him.

"Here to read some more?" She asked and he chuckled, shaking his head. He'd traded in his pajama pants for jeans and his hoodie was similar to his sweater this morning, but this time it had a golden dragon logo on the right breast. His blond hair glimmered like gold with the sunshine directly over his head. His bright green eyes shone and she felt compelled to hold his face and take a picture.

"Actually, I came to see you guys."

"Well, that's awful nice of you. The other ninja didn't tear your throat out, I presume?" He laughed.

"Breakfast was a bit late this morning, so I was able to shower and change right before Nya knocked on my door to tell me it was ready." Alyx chuckled, adjusting her gi belt.

"Well, what'd you want to see us for?"

"I wanted to ask... Are all of you Elemental Masters?" Alyx smiled, turning and starting up the steps. Lloyd followed, stuffing his hands in his jacket pockets. Alyx put her hands behind her back.

"We're all descendants of the First Generation. Camille is Master of Metal, but there's no relation between her and Karlof. Whereas Karlof can turn himself into metal, Camille can control it, bend it and even summon it. She can control all types of metal, even the weakest of them all. Even gold." Lloyd stopped and looked as Camille levitated a sheet of metal, moving it and sliding it in between two other sheets. Two welders immediately set to welding the sheet to the other sheets, Camille holding the piece in place with her powers. It was an incredible sight. He jogged to catch up to Alyx as another question popped into his head.

"Does that mean she'd be able to control Zane?" Alyx laughed, sending a warm tingle down his back.

"I suppose so. But it would take a tremendous amount of effort to do so."

"Now that is a sight I'd like to see." Alyx nodded, pointing at Diana next.

"Diana is Master of Nature, no relation to the other Master of Nature. She can summon poisonous and venomous plants, or just plain decorative plants." A flower popped out from the concrete in front of his feet and he nearly tripped over his own feet to make sure he didn't step on it. After he balanced himself, he bent down and picked it, standing up and looking over at Diana. She smiled at them and waved, then went back to tending to the potted plant. He watched her touch the petals, seemed to listen and then giggled, stroking the petals like it was a pet. He looked at the flower, which was green petaled.

Alyx smiled.

"Green flowers mean hope." He looked up at her. "They're typically given when a person is feeling down or hopeless. That's a hydrangea. They're quite beautiful, aren't they?" He looked down at the flower, touching the petals lightly.

"It really is..." Alyx smiled, throwing a thankful glance at Diana, then they continued on.

"Diana is also gifted in where she can communicate with the plants. Plants... hear. So, in a way, they're like little spies and can communicate with each other, and then Diana can decipher their messages."

"Talking to plants, huh?" Alyx laughed.

"It sounds totally insane, but it's very useful. That's how we were able to get messages when all of the communication towers were down when your dad took over the city."

"Sorry about that." Alyx chuckled.

"Not your fault, dude." They arrived to where Ashe was.

"And what about her...? Her Element is Time, right?" Alyx waved her hand dismissively at his worried look.

"Yes, it is. No relation to the Time Twins, and unlike them, she can't go forward in time, or back, for that matter." He nearly sighed in relief.

"What can she do?"

"Ashe can control time, but at her will. Instead of go forward or back in time, she can travel in the current moment. Like... Say I'm Ashe and you're an enemy. Since she can't go back to avoid your punch or kick, she'll focus and then-" She flipped over his head and was behind him, holding up her arms defensively. "She can teleport in the moment."'

"Whoa." Alyx smiled, sending a warm tingle down his spine.

"She can also create pockets of space and even portals. Even if they're small portals."

"That... That's impressive." Alyx grinned, looking proud.

"I did raise her." Lloyd couldn't resist the smile trying to crawl onto his face, and their moment was interrupted when a worker shouted.

"Oh, no! Miss Ashe, look out!" They looked up to see an open paint can falling off the roof, heading straight down to land on her head. Ashe's eyes widened, which seemed bright blue right now, and she lifted her hands that brightened in a purple aura, a pocket of space opening above her head. The paint can landed in the pocket, and disappeared.

Another pocket opened up a few feet next to her, where no one was standing. The paint can landed and a splatter of red paint spread out, looking like blood at a crime scene.

Cheers rang up, and Lloyd felt incredibly impressed. Quick reflexes and timing. He liked that.

"That was..." Alyx grinned at his awestruck face, bumping his shoulder.

"Come on." They walked into the palace, his fingers stroking the petals of the hydrangea absentmindedly.

"What about you? What's your element?" Alyx gave him a glance.

"Um... Well..." Lloyd gave her an expectant look. "It's a long story."

"Oh, so you have a tragic backstory? I wanna hear it." She gave him a frown. "Come on! You know my backstory! My father was evil, I was destined to defeat him and I did, he turned good, then he was banished to the Cursed Realm, and then I hit stupid puberty and my voice changes, and then I fall in love with a freaking villain who decides to resurrect my father, the evil part, and then I lose my powers and now he's in maximum security in prison, and now I'm dealing with nightmares and anxiety." He let out a huge breath. "So, what's your deal?" He stopped when he realized she wasn't walking next to him and turned around, seeing her standing a few feet away, her eyebrow raised, her head tilted to the side a bit. Her eyes were wide and surprised, and he slumped, realizing what he had just said.

"Did you... Did you say that you fell in love with a villain?"

"That's the part you picked up on?"

"I know the whole story, dude. I just... Didn't know that part." Lloyd looked away, suddenly feeling vulnerable.

"I..." He sighed, closing his eyes. "I fell in love with Princess Harumi." He expected her to blow up, to yell at him how stupid it was that he fell in love with royalty, and how ridiculous it all sounded.

But instead, she took his arm and pulled him toward a bench. She sat him down and then sat next to him. She was quiet as she mulled over his words, and he glanced at her worriedly. Her face was blank, her eyes glazed over with thought. Finally, she spoke.

"I understand." He looked at her just as she turned her head, a soft, kind and understanding smile on her face. "If anyone is the best about bad relationships, it's probably me."

"Why?"

"I had a guy betray me and stab me in the back." She coughed. "He literally stabbed me in the back. I liked him, but not where I loved him." She turned her body so her back was facing him, and pushed back the top of her robes. They fell a bit to reveal a scar about three inches long. Three more peaked out, but they were more in the center of her back. He wasn't about to ask her to totally drop her gi. He barely met her, so he contained his curiosity.

"How'd you get it?" She pulled her robe back up and adjusted it.

"I was fifteen. I had been travelling, and I came across a village that took me in. I found out how to control some of my powers, and that's when I met him. He was... Different. Understood me, talked to me and listened to me. Well... As I stayed longer, I found out that there were these hybrid tigers attacking the village. And it turns out he was the one breeding them, and... We were engaged in a fight, and he stabbed me in the back. That's where I also got three other scars, and where he met his demise." She shook her head.

"He died?"

"Torn apart by his own tigers."

"Geez..." They went quiet and he looked down at his flower again.

"I guess you do have a tragic backstory." He managed and she laughed.

"Oh, you have no idea."

"Ooh, are we just in time for the Tragedy of Alyx?" He looked up to see Ashe, Camille and Diana approaching them. Alyx rolled her eyes.

"I don't know him that well, and he's not ready to hear the trauma I faced."

"But-" Alyx gave him a glare.

"Not. Ready." He leaned back, but realized the bench didn't have a back, and fell straight onto his back.

"See? Uncoordinated." Alyx stifled a laugh at Camille's statement, standing and leaning over.

"Are you okay." He held up the hydrangea that was still safe.

"The flower is okay!"

* * *

They invited him to lunch, and he agreed. He didn't quite want to go back to the house, and he was hoping he could pry Alyx's backstory out of her. They went to the noodle house, since he figured Skylor could hook them up with some on the house noodles, and he was glad when she happily greeted him.

"Hey, Lloyd!" She chirped as he walked up to the counter. "How's it going?"

"Good." He replied. "Can I get a booth for five?" Skylor blinked at him, then noticed the other girls standing behind him. She raised her eyebrow for a minute, then nodded, pointing at a booth nex to the conveyor belt.

"I'll get you set up."

"Thanks." They took their seats and Ashe looked at the food excitedly.

"What, did you not have breakfast?" Camille asked, sitting in between Ashe and Diana. Since she was the smallest, Lloyd didn't want to ask how tall she was, she chose to sit in between the other two, and Lloyd and Alyx sat in the opposite booth. Ashe gave Camille a frown in reply, then went back to watching the dishes, still speaking even though she wasn't looking at him.

"So, Lloyd, how did you feel about your voice changing?" Diana hit Ashe in the back of the head at the question. Lloyd smiled. They fought like siblings, but were best friends. Much like him and the ninja.

"Well, I guess it was weird at first, but people seemed to like it."

"The resistance never quits!" Camille said, scarily almost matching his voice. He jumped at it, and they started to laugh. He blushed and looked away.

"You heard that, huh...?"

"The entire population of Ninjago did." Alyx said, poking his arm playfully. "It was really inspiring."

"Even after you saw my butt get kicked by my dad?"

"Okay, that was... Embarrassing." Diana said. "But honestly, all of us agreed that we would've done the same thing." He furrowed his eyebrows.

"What do you mean by that?" Skylor asked as she set down the tray of food on the table and handed out the bowls of noodles, plates of potstickers and sushi, and a few fortune cookies.

"We mean that if we were in his situation and felt like he did when he cleansed his father of all evil, we would've done the same thing trying to repeat it. It was idiotic, but I think everyone does idiotic things. Even destined ninjas." Alyx nudged Lloyd with her elbow. "Besides, who hasn't done stupid regretful things?"

"I have, that's for sure." Skylor said, tucking the tray under her arm. "I'm Skylor, by the way." They introduced themselves, and Skylor told them to let her know if they needed anything else and then they begin to eat. He noticed Camille, Ashe and Diana took off their gloves so they could use their chopsticks, but Alyx kept hers on.

"Why do you still have your gloves on? Isn't it more freeing to be gloveless?" He hit his chopsticks together as an example, and she looked at him, at the others, and then back at him again, before looking down at her hands. She hesitated before setting her sticks down, and slowly pulled them off.

Lloyd could see why she kept them on.

Her hands were scarred. Some scars looked like blotches, like burn scars, and others looked like surgical scars. He had his own, of course, but she had scars that could be spread out evenly amongst them, all on her hands.

At seeing his stare, she begin to pull them back on, but he stopped her, grabbing her hand. She looked at him surprised as he counted them and touched them tenderly. Then he made her spread out her fingers and saw the scar in the middle of her hand, touching it slowly and making her jump.

"H-hey, that's sensitive!" He let go of her hand. Her tan skin was able to hide her blush, and he looked at his fingers. Her skin was rough from hard work. Her fingers were long and elegant, and he was tempted to test how they fit in his hands.

Camille snickered, nudging Ashe knowingly. Ashe happily chewed, resisting her grin. Diana rolled her eyes and hit Camille's arm hard to stop her laughing.

They sat in silence for a while, eating their food before Alyx sighed.

"You really want to know my backstory, don't you?" He perked up, swiveling his head.

"Yes, please! Oh my god, it's killing me." She sighed, giving him squinted glare and looked at the other three. They shrugged, all four of them staring at each other like they were talking telepathically.

"Ugh, fine!" Alyx threw her hands up. Lloyd felt... Giddy. For the first time in a very long while. He felt like a kid again. And god, that was so long ago.

"Tell me, tell me, tell me." She held up her sticks, making him shut up.

"I'll give you one hint, okay?"

"Okay." He clasped his hands together in childlike excitement, making her look at him with annoyance, but he didn't care.

"My parents were master blacksmiths."


	3. Chapter 3

**I hope you all liked the last chapter. Thank you for reading.**

 **I do not own Ninjago, it belongs to Lego and Cartoon Network.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Three**_

Lloyd was left to put the pieces together by himself.

So, he joined them in the rebuilding work.

The workers were absolutely ecstatic that they had the Green Ninja helping, and their mood seemed to improve at the fact. As they worked, Lloyd thought of how to ask Alyx more about her past. He thought of asking the others, but they shifted around too much, so he stuck with his own thoughts. Alyx guarded and did occasionally patrols, asking the workers how the work was going, and she seemed to brighten their mood every time she did. Her personality was interesting. She was sweet and thoughtful for the workers. If they needed something, she grabbed it for them so they didn't have to pause their work. Her conversations were easygoing and at the same time she monitored everything with a close eye.

Her leadership skills also impressed him. She didn't use intimidation tactics or bragged that she was better than the other Elemental Masters. She never used the words, "you might be as good as me someday" or "keep that up and you'll never get to that level". Instead, she lifted them up with kind and wise words, just like Wu used to. He still does, but his wisdom was being passed on through the Ninja. And Camille, Ashe and Diana seemed to respect Alyx greatly, but at the same time didn't look at her like she was the odd one out because of her heritage or powers, whatever her element was, and they acted like close sisters and best friends.

Lloyd admired her greatly and just knew he needed to get close to her.

* * *

Alyx shut the front doors and locked them, then turned to the others as they stretched. Lloyd was looking at Borg Tower, where the weird rocks from Garmadon's reigns were almost fully taken down. Tall cranes were to the top, and the bright light from the moon cast a hue around the building, giving it a florescent look to it. His face was blank and his eyes were glazed over.

Alyx realized he must've been thinking about his battle with Garmadon.

Ashe touched her arm, noticing what she was thinking, and the other two nodded in agreement.

"Hey, Lloyd." Camille chirped and he looked at them, blinking so his eyes were clear. "We do a game night every week. You look like you could use some relaxation." Lloyd frowned, glancing at his phone.

"I don't know... It's pretty late and the others would get curious about where I am."

"Then send them a text and tell them you're staying the night at the library doing research." Ashe said.

"You sound like you know how to lie." Ashe shrugged.

"When you had to get out of the house more than once, you tend to learn how to make up excuses." Lloyd furrowed his eyebrows and said a quiet okay, then looked at Alyx for an explanation. She shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"So, what do you say?" Lloyd hesitated, looking at the time before opening their group message.

 _8:13 - Gonna be home a bit late tonight. Doing some patrol work to clear my head._

Lloyd chewed the inside of his cheek.

A little relaxation wouldn't be too bad, right...?

* * *

"So, you all live here...?" Lloyd asked as he looked around. They glanced at each other.

"Yeah, you don't mind being in an all girl apartment, do you?" Camille asked as she pulled out a takeout menu.

"Honestly, it's way better than living with the guys. Too much testosterone in the house." He looked out the window, seeing that they had a perfect view of the palace. Their apartment was cute and good sized for the four of them. Chocolate brown laminate flooring, white walls, black appliances and a nice sized living room with windows surrounding the entire area of the room. Moonlight shone in, and he felt calm with the way everything looked. At the moment, it was peaceful.

"Isn't Nya there?" Ashe asked.

"Well, yeah, and so is Pixal. But one is a nindroid and Nya can't balance everything by herself."

"Is that why you were at the library this morning?" Diana asked. "To get away from the others?" Lloyd turned around, looking guilty.

"Is that bad...?"

"No." Ashe replied. "Everyone needs their alone time." Alyx rolled her eyes, pulling off her gloves and setting them on the coffee table.

"Well... If I'm being honest, I couldn't sleep last night." They stared at him for a moment, before looking at each other, the reason clicking in their minds. He saw their silent argument among the four, curious as to what they could be thinking.

"Alyx has nightmares." Camille chirped, then ran into the bathroom to avoid Alyx's swat.

"We're gonna go get the snacks! See you in a bit!" Ashe and Diana were out the door in record time, making Lloyd raise his eyebrow.

"Are they always like that?" Alyx sighed.

"Sadly, yeah." She scratched her head.

"So... You have nightmares, too?" She looked hesitant, but at his curious look, she sighed and started to pick up some miscellaneous stuff.

"Sometimes, yeah." She paused as she put a book on a shelf, her voice shaky as she spoke. "Do... Do you have nightmares?" Lloyd looked at his hands.

"Yeah." His voice was quiet and vulnerable, making her turn around to see his eyes glazed over again. Alyx set the books down, and walked over to him, fiddling with her fingers.

"Honestly, the best way to cope with nightmares is to face them." He lifted his head, his eyebrow raised.

"What does that even mean?"

"Facing your nightmares means letting people know that you have them. That you're not totally invincible and a mindless robot. Sooner or later your friends are going to find out that you have nightmares."

"I've been powerless before... I don't want them to see me so pathetic again..."

"They're going to see you as an imperfect human. They do see you as the Green Ninja, but they also see you as a human. You're not perfect. You're not invincible." She took his hand. "You're an imperfect human. There's no reason you shouldn't show fear. It's a normal human emotion." Lloyd looked down.

"I-I guess it is... I just felt so useless without my powers. And then I get them back, and I guess I still feel that way..." He held up his hand, a ball of energy forming. "I guess when they disappeared and we just had to run it was... Challenging. Ridiculous, really." The ball vanished, and he looked away in shame. He didn't know why he was telling her all this. Something about her just made him feel relaxed, like he could tell her anything.

A squeeze on his hand pulled him out of his thoughts. He looked up at her to see her smiling reassuringly at him.

"How about this? We get to know each other, and then once we're comfortable, you can confide in me. We'll start there." He stared at her before his lips twitched up into a smile.

"You're really nice." Alyx chuckled, their hands intertwining instinctively. Their hands fit into each other's almost perfectly. Her fingers were lanky and thin, but her hand strength was pretty incredible.

"Guess that's just part of my charm." She said quietly. They stared at each other for a second, taking in each other's facial features. Now that he was so close, he noticed faint freckles on her nose and cheeks, and her eyes looked transparent with the moonlight.

The dark tiny dots littering his nose and neck was so unbearably cute, Alyx wanted to trace them and see if she could make constellations out of them. She wondered if his whole body was covered in freckles. His bright green orbs that seemed to shine with power stared into hers, taking in her face as well. His nose was small, which was kind of cute, and wondered if he got it from his mother.

For a moment, everything seemed to wash away.

Then the door opened.

"Ohoho, sorry." They looked to see Ashe and Diana in the doorway, a bright grin on Ashe's face. Diana's cheeks were red and she was clearly embarrassed at the scene in front of her.

"Were we interrupting something?"

Alyx and Lloyd looked at each other, at their hands and then jumped away from each other, their faces turning red.

"No, you weren't interrupting anything." Alyx said, her cheeks looking like a stop light. "We were just talking."

"While holding hands." Ashe said pointedly. Lloyd looked away, wishing he had his hood to cover his face.

"I'm going to kill you both." Alyx hissed.

"Try it." Ashe challenged, and Alyx reached for one of her thigh holsters.

"Okay, you two, stop it." Diana hissed. A vine wrapped around Alyx's wrist before she could throw her weapon, and she gave a glare to Ashe. "You are not going to fight in front of our guest. Apologize, now." Alyx frowned. Ashe looked uncomfortable.

"Sorry." Alyx mumbled.

"I'm sorry." Ashe grumbled. They'd clearly been chewed out by Diana before, and Lloyd had a feeling that Diana was much like Zane, the mom friend of the group.

"Good girls." Diana let the vine shrink back into its normal size, and Alyx rubbed her wrist. He heard the door open, this time down the hall and saw Camille step out of the bathroom, dressed in gray pajama pants and a white loose shirt. Her hair was still wet, but combed into a short ponytail.

"What'd I miss?" She asked, opening the door to a bedroom and tossing her gi into it.

"Oh, just Alyx holding the Green Ninja's hand." Ashe chirped as she unloaded the snacks from the bags. Camille stared at her, before looking at them both. Alyx looked ready to hit somebody, and Lloyd backed up to make sure it wasn't him she decided to hit.

"I'm going to kill all of you."

* * *

Camille had found some pajama pants and a t-shirt from her brother for him. After Alyx, Ashe and Diana showered, they let him shower because he felt sticky after the hot day.

They were playing Uno when a question popped into his head.

"What are you guys going to do after the palace is done? Do you have normal jobs?" They looked at each other.

"Well, yeah, but our workplaces were destroyed in Garmadon's takeover. Since they're still rebuilding, we've had to take up side work to scrape up rent and grocery money." Diana explained, frowning and then putting down her cards to take a sip of her drink.

"Our landlord was kind enough to lower our rent while everything is rebuilding, but I'm sure it'll skyrocket soon." Camille added. "It's going to be difficult." Ashe and Alyx mumbled in agreement.

An idea popped into his head, but he chewed on his lower lip, hesitant to ask. He'd just met them. They hadn't even met the Ninja yet, but at the same time...

"Move in with us." It looked like they had been hit with a Time Blade with the way they froze. Alyx turned her head to look at him.

"I'm sorry?"

"Not in our current house, but the Monastery is being rebuilt. I haven't lived there, but that is where Uncle Wu grew up and where the Ninja first trained. There will be plenty of room and besides, we could use some new blood around. And you would get to teach us a few things."

"We haven't even met them, Lloyd." Ashe said, her voice in a disapproving tone.

"I know! That's why I'll introduce you to them!" They looked at each other.

"We'll think about it." He perked up. "It's not a promise, Greenie. We'll meet them, see how our personalities tie in with each other, and _then_ we'll talk. how does that sound?"

Lloyd honestly didn't hear the last part, but he was quite excited that they were going to considerate it.

* * *

It was one am by the time they wrapped and cleaned everything up. He did not want to sneak into the house, with all of the alarms Nya and Pixal installed, so he was left with two decisions: ask Alyx to stay the night or manage to get in undetected. Lloyd looked at his phone, chewing his cheek.

"I can set up the guest bed for you." Lloyd jumped as Alyx popped up next to him. "If you need to stay for the night."

"You'd do that?"

'No, I'm going to throw you out onto the street." Alyx rolled her eyes. "What do you think?" He let his shoulders relax and picked up his phone, sending a quick text to say he wasn't coming home tonight, and then nodded at her.

"Hey, Diana, where'd we put the extra sheets?" Alyx called as she went back into the living room.

"Uh, I think they're in the bin underneath yours and Ashe's bunk."

'Thanks." As he cleaned up the kitchen and the girls straightened up the living room, which he realized was a routine for them, he felt something warm press up against his calves. He stiffened, only to look down and see a bronze and gray cat rubbing against his legs. Lloyd gasped, drying his hands quickly and picked the cat up, revelling in how soft it was.

"You didn't tell me you guys had a cat!" The cat purred, licking his nose, making him giggle.

"We found her after the Overlord took over the city. She was just a kitten." Ashe explained. "She's cute, huh?" He nuzzled her, making her meow.

"She's so soft..." Then it struck him. "Wait, you've been together for that long?" They all nodded.

"Yup."

'Whoa." He frowned, looking down at the purring fluff in his arms. "It feels like yesterday when I first let out the Serpentine." He shivered at the memory.

"You were a brat, Lloyd. You didn't know better." Diana soothed. "You were a kid, and we were all kids once." He shrugged, stroking the cat's ears gently.

"What's her name?"

"Misty." Alyx replied, coming out of the second bedroom. "Looks like she likes you."

"Just like her owner." Camille said in a singsong voice. Ashe immediately high-fived her. Alyx shot them a glare, then turned her attention back to him.

"Bed is all made, so it's all yours."

"Thanks." Alyx gave him a nod.

"Ah, I can't believe we meet the Green Ninja and now he's staying in our spare bedroom." Camille grinned at him. "Glad to have you as a friend, Lloyd." He smiled at them.

For once, he actually felt safe.

* * *

"So... Are we gonna talk about it?" Camille asked as she adjusted her pillow to her liking.

"Talk about what?" Alyx asked, but her gut told her it was probably about their hand holding earlier.

"About Lloyd's offer, dork!" She nearly let out a sigh of relief and, taking a breath, she sat down on her bed, looking at their expectant looks with surprise.

"Honestly, it caught me by surprise. We just met him, and he's already asking us to move in with them. Don't you think that's a bit too fast?"

"Oh, pfft. The Alyx I met three years ago would've jumped onto that wagon right away."

"Well, I'm not the Alyx you met three years ago, Cam. People change, okay?" They went quiet at that, making her sigh. "Look, I promised him we'll meet the ninja, see how our personalities mix, and then we'll about it. That's it, alright? We don't know what the future holds, so let's sleep and look forward to tomorrow."

They agreed, and as they settled down in bed, Alyx stared up at Ashe's bunk.

What _did_ the future hold?

* * *

They probably had gotten two hours of sleep before Alyx woke up to the sound of squeaking. She figured it might be Diana's bunk again, even though they had just oiled the springs, but when she heard muffled shouting, she jumped out of bed, pulling out her Sais. She never had been a deep sleeper.

"Wake up." She hissed.

"What?" Camille mumbled. "What's wrong?"

"I think something's wrong with Lloyd." At that, they all got out of bed and pulled out their weapons. Diana opened the door quietly, allowing Camille to slip through, look around in the living room, give a signal that it was all good, then surround his door. Ashe laid her hand on the knob, and at Alyx's nod, opened it slowly. They stepped in, seeing glass sprayed on the ground, the bed ruffled.

A splatter of blood stained the sheets.

"Look!" Diana shouted, and they looked up to see two black figures holding Lloyd, who was limp, clearly unconscious. The figures looked behind them, hissed at them, and then hopped off the roof.

"Lloyd!"


	4. Chapter 4

**R &R!**

 **I do not own Ninjago, it belongs to Lego and Cartoon Network.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Four**_

Lloyd felt like he was floating. Or being carried. No, he was definitely floating.

He couldn't exactly see what was going on, and he felt like he was underwater. Everything sounded far away. What he could remember was that he woke up to the sound of glass shattering, then a whispered argument. A shadow then loomed over his body, and he managed to get a punch in before he was roughly yanked out of bed by someone with incredible strength, a needle sliding into his neck quickly. He was able to get a ball of energy shot at them, but it missed and he heard something else shatter. His body begin to feel slow and groggy, and he had a it was a sedative he'd been injected with.

The cold air hit his face and woke him up a bit. Although he couldn't open his eyes, he now could hear, but his body still felt numb.

"Hey, where's the syringe?" He heard a voice rasp out. The voice was low and raspy, like they'd inhaled bad air their whole life or had bad asthma.

"Uh, I thought you had it." Said another, this time a bit better, but deeper.

"You mean this one?" He heard, before a choke, and then it felt like he was falling. He couldn't be sure. Then he hit something, knocking the breath out of his lungs, and he wheezed out in pain. He faintly felt a hand touch his cheek, the hand warm and soft.

"Lloyd?" Diana. "Lloyd, can you hear me?" All he could do was whimper. It was so pathetic.

"How is he?" Camille asked.

"It seems like he was injected with some kind of sedative. I think he can hear me, but it's hard to say." He moaned. "Yeah, he can hear me."

"Get him to safety." Alyx said. "See if you can find the ninja. We'll hold them off."

"On it."

* * *

Diana had never thought she would get even close to seeing the Green Ninja, much less holding him in her arms after saving him. His skin was pale and sickly, meaning he was reacting poorly to the sedative. All he could really do was let out noises of protest if she moved him wrong. His eyes were squeezed shut and after she caught him, he let out a wheeze, and she knew the air had been knocked out of his lungs. That'd happened to her a few times.

Okay, now to find the ninja.

As to where to look, she had no idea.

"Hey, Lloyd, where are you guys staying?"

He moaned in reply. Diana looked around, searching for something to indicate the ninja's house, but she highly doubted they would put some kind of symbol or wording saying "We're the ninja!" and so she was left to try and find them by herself.

Her eye caught a news van. She looked at Lloyd, who was still unconscious, before patting her dragon to move them down. The dragon landed, bending down her neck so she could slide down, laying Lloyd against a pole. She summoned a plant to keep an eye on him, then knocked on the doors of the van. The door opened to reveal a groggy cameraman, clearly woken up way to early.

"Ugh, what do you want, kid?"

"Hi, my name is Diana, and I need some help." She stepped aside to show Lloyd, and his sleepiness disappeared. His eyes widened, and he looked at her.

"I need to get a message out to the Ninja. Can you help me?" The cameraman opened the door more, showing Gale Gossip doing her makeup. She jumped at the sight. After quickly explaining the situation, the cameraman begin to type rapidly on the computer. A minute later, her phone dinged to signal the alert. She pulled it out to see the alert about the danger in the area, saying that the ninja were needed. Diana looked over at Lloyd as his fingers twitched. She went over to him and patted his face.

"Lloyd, can you hear me?" He gave a groan, but his lips twitched, as if he wanted to say something.

 _"Diana, come in."_

"I'm here, Al. What's going on?"

 _"He's been drugged with Hunter's Venom. You need to summon the antidote right away. It looks like a light dose, but if he's showing signs of-"_ Alyx was cut off.

"Alyx? Alyx!" Lloyd moaned, catching her attention. She forgot about Alyx and quickly ran over to him.

"Do you guys have a teapot?" She asked.

"Yes." Gale climbed into the news van to re-emerge with a pot. "It's still hot."

"Good." Diana took it. Vermillion Leaves countered the effects of Hunter's Venom, which was typically used in hunting animals, but if tampered with, could knock out a fully grown human for hours. And if given to the wrong person, could kill them. She summoned the plant, ground it up on the ground with a rock, then stirred it in the pot until it became a blood red. Gale handed her a cup so she could pour the tea into the cup, then held it up to Lloyd's mouth.

"Come on, drink it." His lips opened enough so she could hold it up, and managed a few sips before he wrinkled his face at the taste. It wasn't the greatest taste in the world, but it did work. She was able to get a couple of more sips in before he curled away from it. Hopefully that should be enough. Static filled her earpiece before Alyx's voice came through. It was raspy and tired. Diana knew that voice well.

 _"Did you give him the antidote?"_

"Yes. He should be regaining conscious soon. How are things on your end? Have the ninja arrived?"

 _"No."_ Alyx grunted, the sound of metal on metal clanging into her ear. _"I wish they would show up soon...!"_ It cut out again, and this time Diana picked him up. Surprised by his lightness, Diana managed to hop back onto her dragon.

"Thank you!" She called down to Gale and the cameraman.

"Um, any time. I guess." Gale said, clearly still stunned by the sudden events. Diana got back into the air and spotted Alyx, Camille and Ashe fighting three more black figures. Diana had a feeling they weren't the only ones around. Her eyes scanned the area, trying to spot the bright colored ninja, but no luck.

Lloyd groaned and begin to wake up. She looked down at him, seeing his eyes flutter before opening. That seemed to take effort, and he panted in pain.

"D-Diana...?"

"Hey, you. Save your energy. The tea will take effect shortly and you should be able to sit up on your own." Lloyd managed a tiny nod. "But first, can you tell me where you guys are staying? The others need help."

"Yeah, I-"

A harsh force pushed them down.

Diana lost grip on Lloyd, and focus on her dragon. They both went plummeting down, Diana trying to refocus to resummon her dragon, but once she saw Lloyd knocked out again, she focused her attention on him.

Another figure soared through the air and grabbed him, making her yelp.

"Lloyd!"

What was with this kid and being kidnapped?

* * *

His body was waking up slowly, but his mind was alert.

"Lloyd!"

Oh god, he was with someone else now, wasn't he?

"Let him go!" Then he was falling again before being grabbed once again. That woke him up. He was laid down, and he took in bright silver eyes.

"Al..." He coughed hard, and she cupped his face.

"Can you hear me?" He managed a nod. "Good." He felt himself being picked up. She was surprisingly strong and he kind of liked it. As they ran, he felt himself gaining feeling. First in his fingers, then his toes, his legs and arms, and then finally his whole body. Although it was still weak, he could move his head and take in his surroundings. Alyx had her hood on, which was black with a red band around the forehead. They were hopping across rooftops, which he was surprised that she could while holding him.

"T-The house isn't far from here." He said. She stopped to look at him, then nodded. "It has red shingles and a blue banner outside." Alyx nodded, then looked at their surroundings before hopping onto the ledge.

"Hold on tight." He quickly wrapped his arms around her neck, and as soon as he was secure, hopped down. He saw the ground coming closer, and before he knew it, they landed and she was running to find the house.

"That one!" He pointed at it and she ran up to it.

"Can you stand?"

"No, I don't think so." She nodded.

"Okay, I'll support you." Lloyd nodded. She let him down slowly, allowing him to balance himself, even though it sent horrible shocks of pain through his legs. As soon as he was balanced, Alyx knocked on the door rapidly.

"Nice first impression." Alyx mumbled. Before he could reply, the door swung open to reveal the others.

"Lloyd!?" They all chorused, sending a horrible wave of pain through his head. He winced, making them stiffen.

"What's going on?" Nya asked.

"Someone tried to kidnap him." Alyx said before him. "My team's holding them off, but we need your help."

"And who the heck are you?" Kai hissed.

"She's a friend, Kai." Lloyd managed out. Everyone looked at each other before shrugging.

"What happened to you?" Jay asked.

"He was shot up with Hunter's Venom. It's a sedative, and my friend was able to give him the antidote, but he's still very weak. Someone must get him to-"

The sound of screaming caught their attention and they looked up to see Ashe's dragon hurling toward a building.

"No, no, no!" Ashe put away her bow, grabbed the reigns and halted her dragon before they could destroy the building again. Her back brushed the front of it but Ashe cried out in pain and her dragon disappeared. She landed on the ground, slowly standing and holding her arm close. Kai and Cole took him while Alyx dashed over to her.

"My shoulder." Ashe said without Alyx even having to ask. They walked over to them as Alyx got behind her.

"Ready?" Ashe nodded, and looked away as Alyx took her arm and the top of her shoulder, and popped her shoulder back into place.

Their eyes widened.

Ashe rolled her shoulder, standing up and pulling out her bow.

"Coming?" She asked.

"I'll join you soon." Ashe resummoned her dragon and took to the air again, as if her shoulder hadn't just been dislocated.

"Okay, that was hardcore." Cole said.

"Ashe grew up with eight siblings. A little dislocation doesn't harm her." Alyx said absentmindedly.

"Can we please know who you are?"

"Alyx." She replied. "Now, get him somewhere safe. He's too weak to fight."

"We'll take him." Zane offered, and he was transferred to Zane and Pixal. Their eyes met briefly before she hopped onto a roof and rejoined the fight.

"I like her." Nya said.

"Ninja-Go!"

* * *

Zane and Pixal barely made it two blocks before two more people showed up in front of them. When they tried to turn around, another pair hopped down.

"Who are these people?"

"My scanners indicate they are of some sort of species. I'm not sure what kind." Zane observed.

Now that he had a good view, all four had a resemblance. Pitch black skin, horns protruding out from their forehead, bald, and wore traditional fighting clothes from the First Spinjitzu Master's time.

"I... I think I know what they are." Lloyd whimpered.

"What are they?"

"I think the Oni have arrived."


	5. Chapter 5

**How tall do you guys think all the ninja are? In your opinions.**

 **I do not own Ninjago, it belongs to Lego and Cartoon Network.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Five**_

"Pixal, can you get him to safety?"

"Yes."

"Go. I'll hold them off."

Zane let go of him, allowing Pixal to take control. They quickly diverted their route into an alleyway, and Lloyd limped as fast as he could. _I'm so pathetic._

Pixal stopped suddenly, and he looked up to see two more Oni waiting for them at the end.

"How many are there?" Lloyd asked.

"I'm not sure. Most likely a small army."

"They must've suspected that we'd fight back." Pixal nodded.

"Can you walk on your own?" _Not really._

"Yeah. I'll be fine." Pixal nodded, and he let go, managing to limp into the opposite direction as he heard Pixal unsheathe her swords. He was able to walk a couple of blocks before he came to a dead end, letting out a whimper. His body ached from the drug, not to mention from being tossed around. His arm had been sliced when he was taken from the guest room, and he knew Diana hadn't noticed or else it would've been wrapped.

Lloyd leaned against the wall, holding his arm as he tried to catch his breath.

"Well, well, well. Who's going to protect you now?" He turned around to see four Oni walking up to him slowly, holding intricately made staffs and swords. He backed up before his back hit the wall. He looked up to try and see if he could find something to jump up to and maybe use Airjitzu, but he doubted he could even form a baseball size energy ball.

"Why do you want me?" He managed, even though his voice was tired and whiny.

"Master has a plan for you." Said a female Oni. "Besides, it'd be quite lovely to have someone like you around the place." The other three snickered.

"Could definitely use something new to play with." He tried to shrink into himself. Black hands reached for him, and he looked away to hide his face. He didn't want them to see him almost cry.

The humming sound of a Spinjitzu tornado caught his attention and he heard a wail, then another, then an Oni shouting.

"It burned me!" Kai? Lloyd opened his eyes to see a tornado batting against the Oni like a pinball in its machine. The Oni were struggling, which was a surprising sight. The bottom of the tornado was fiery and shot sparks. The middle was a purple hue, and then the top was water, spraying mist into the Oni's faces. They all fell to the ground, struggling to get back up, but thick and thorny vines shot up from the ground and wrapped around them, holding them down in a tight grip. He looked up to see Diana concentrating, her hands glowing green, her eyes closed.

The tornado seized, revealing Alyx. She kicked the Oni's leg a bit, then ran to him.

"Are you okay?"

"You can use Spinjitzu?" He stared at her wide eyed, and she let out a nervous laugh.

"Yeah, I can. Come on." He took her hand. Alyx slipped her arm underneath his legs, making him bend his knees. She picked him up bridal style, which was really embarrassing, but he quickly forgot about it as she hopped onto a canopy, then onto the roof. Diana summoned her dragon, then swooped down, picking up the Oni, two in each of the dragon's claws, and Alyx hopped onto the back, behind Diana. She sat him down, and he was able to hold himself up.

"Let me see your arm." Lloyd let her take it, watching her roll up his sleeve and reveal a nice sized slice on his bicep. The blood was dried, but because of his movements, it had reopened and now was leaking pretty good. Alyx formed a ball of water in her hand, held it up to his bicep and the water begin to circle the wound, and he hissed in slight pain before a soothing coolness overtook it. He sighed, watching as the blood washed away and the slice closed up.

"You... You can heal?"

"Fire destroys." Her silver eyes met his. "Water heals."

* * *

They landed in front of the palace as Ashe and Camille wrangled up the other Oni. Alyx counted eleven in total. Diana's dragon extended her neck, and Alyx picked him up once again in the same style. He wanted to pout, but he liked hearing her heartbeat. She slid down the neck of the dragon, then landed smoothly on the ground. Diana hopped off, allowing her dragon to disappear. The other ninja took off their hoods as they approached.

"Okay, can somebody please tell me what the hell is going on? And why are you carrying Lloyd like that?!" Alyx rolled her eyes at Kai's furious face. He clearly did not like a stranger touching his friend like so.

"Hey, hey, don't yell!" Diana hissed. "People are sleeping. Although they may be awake now after all the fighting." The girls kept their hoods on, probably not wanting to show their faces just in case. Alyx helped Lloyd stand, but he gripped the back of her gi tightly. He didn't want to let go of her. He felt safe in her company.

"Lloyd, are you okay?" Cole asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Lloyd replied. "Just weak." _And terribly pathetic._

"Okay. You know who we are, but we don't know who you are. Reveal your faces." They all looked at each other before pulling off their hoods.

"Are all of you Elemental masters?" Jay asked. "That was some impressive fighting." Alyx moved Lloyd to a bench, making him quite relieved. His hand wrapped around her wrist without thinking, so she gave him a quick smile and stayed by his side. The girls joined Alyx by gathering behind her, and his friends gathered around in a group.

"Yes, we're all masters." Ashe replied. "Ashe, Time and Space. It's a pleasure to meet you all." Ashe bowed in a traditional greeting and respectful bow.

"Camille, Metal." Camille followed Ashe's bow.

"Diana, Nature." Alyx hesitated before bowing as well.

"I'm just... me." She gave a quick side glance at Lloyd.

"You have to have some kind of power." Zane said. "Your levels of energy radiating off of you is unnatural. It rivals Lloyd's almost evenly."

"Well, maybe I haven't discovered it yet." Alyx said, clearly trying to keep her voice steady. Lloyd also saw her trying to keep her gaze off Nya and Kai.

She was very uncomfortable.

Thankfully, Diana and the other two noticed her discomfort immediately and redirected their attention to the Oni.

"Now, what do we do with them?"

* * *

Lloyd's strength was returning. Gradually slow, but enough where he could move around.

Camille and Diana covered the hole in the window with some opaque plastic and taped it until the landlord could call the glass company to fix it. Ashe swept up the shattered glass and vase one handed. Her left shoulder had to be still, so they had put her in a sling. Alyx stripped the bed of the blood stained sheets, balling them up and putting them in the basket with the blood facing up. It was dried now, but still would need some kind of work to get rid of it fully.

Lloyd shifted on his feet awkwardly.

"I'm sorry, guys." They all looked at him, then at each other, frowning.

"Why are you apologizing?" Diana asked.

"Because it's my fault that your window was shattered. And that you risked your lives saving me." He looked down, waiting for their sentences of "it's not your fault" or "you couldn't have known this was coming".

"Sure, it is your fault." Lloyd's head snapped up.

"Alyx!" The three yelped. She held up her hand before they could berate her.

"It is your fault, but it's also not. It's not your fault for being chosen as the Green Ninja. It's not your fault for being a descendant of the First Spinjitzu Master, and it's certainly not your fault for being part Oni." His shoulders went lax. "However, it is your fault for causing all this. Yes, we did risk our lives, but we did it for you." Lloyd looked down, and a few seconds later, Alyx's shoes appeared in his line of vision.

"Way to sugarcoat it, Al." Camille muttered.

"However," Alyx continued, ignoring Camille's remark. "We are glad to be friends with you. And not because you're a celebrity or the most powerful Elemental Master, but because you're you. Besides, you're quite fun to save." He looked up to meet her eyes, and now realized why she could carry him so easily.

She had at least three or four inches on him easily.

"Thanks." He managed.

"Hello?" Lloyd stepped back to see the ninja coming into the apartment, looking around at the area and for him.

"Hey, guys." They perked up at seeing him. "How'd it go at the police station?"

"Well, they were quite surprised by the new prisoners, but they're all being escorted to Kryptarium Prison now." Cole informed.

"They wouldn't talk?" Lloyd moved aside so Alyx could put the basket next to the couch, following her slowly. He watched her set the basket down then sit on the arm of the couch, crossing her arms. They shook their heads at her question.

"All they kept saying was "he will be ours". Literally, that's all they said." Jay said. "I don't know about you, but why do I have a feeling that they were talking about Lloyd?" Lloyd looked down.

"Because they were." He mumbled, hoping no one heard him.

Stupid Ninja and their overly sensitive ears.

"If that's true, then we are not safe in Ninjago City anymore. If they managed to find you last night, that must mean they were tracking you." Pixal affirmed.

"But why not take me when I was all alone the other night?" They raised their eyebrows. "Oh, right... I went to the Palace library to clear my head the night before. That's how I met them." He gestured at the girls.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Kai asked.

"I didn't want to. Besides, it was like two in the morning when I left." They stared at him with disapproving looks, before they faltered.

"Okay, our number one priority is getting you out of the city. If these things really are Oni, then they'll probably already have reached their leader." Lloyd frowned.

"What about all the work still needed to be done?"

"We've helped a lot. The major damage has been repaired, and the clean up crew will be coming in soon." Cole said, then turned to Nya. "Since the Monastery is still under construction, is your old cave still okay?" Nya shrugged.

"I don't want to run." Everyone stopped talking, looking over at him. "I'm tired of running. I did that enough during my dad-" Lloyd cut himself off, correcting himself. "Garmadon's takeover. I don't want to run anymore."

"But-"

"We're ninja, right? We can defend ourselves. Besides..." He looked over at Alyx and the three. "We have some new allies."

* * *

"It was unsuccessful."

"Hm."

"You don't seem upset. Why is that?" A smile curled onto the woman sickly green face.

"Because I believe I found our next plan." The Oni General looked up to see a swirling portal with a picture of a girl on it.

"Who is she?"

"Alyx Chase. Our next... Doer."


	6. Chapter 6

**I do not own Ninjago, it belongs to Lego and Cartoon Network.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Six**_

Camille, Nya and Pixal collaborated in alarm systems for the Monastery. Diana helped Cole and Kai will cleanup of the area they fought in. Ashe went back to the Palace, which was still untouched, thankfully, and Zane and Jay helped her.

That left Alyx to guard Lloyd, which he didn't mind, and he didn't think Alyx minded either.

"So... You can use Spinjitzu." He finally said after a long moment of silence. Alyx looked up from her paperwork, her face startled by the break of silence, before letting out a sigh.

"Yeah, I can."

"Can the others, too?"

"Yes." Lloyd took a seat on the couch, watching her flip through a few papers before picking up a pen and circling an area.

"When did you find out that you could?" Alyx gave a hum of thought, then laid the papers down again.

"We were just sparring, and Camille was just going through the motions when she was surrounded by a silver tornado. We all started to try, and eventually we mastered it."

"What about Airjitzu?"

"We haven't tried it." Lloyd wrung his hands together, closing his eyes. They sat in silence for a moment before he opened his eyes again, the thought not going away, so he had to ask.

"What did you mean by... Facing my nightmares?" Alyx glanced up at him.

"Well..." She tapped her papers together so they were straight and stood up, walking over to him and taking his arm.

"Come here." He followed her into her bedroom, where two bunks and two dressers were inside. She let go of his arm, pulled out two meditating mats, and sat them down, sitting in the one opposite of him.

"Sit." Lloyd hesitated, looking around before sitting cross legged in front of her on the mat. Alyx crossed her legs and extended her arms, laying them on her knees and touching her middle fingers to her thumbs in a peaceful and thoughtful way. Lloyd copied, watching her close her eyes.

"Close your eyes."

He shut them.

"Take a deep breath and hold it for three seconds."

Lloyd inhaled and held as she counted.

"One... Two... Three." He released his breath, feeling a slight calm wash over him. "Repeat, until you are in complete and utter content." Lloyd repeated until a state of calm washed over him. His body felt light. Alyx's voice sounded calm and sweet, like a narrator's voice in a movie.

"Now... Think of your nightmares. Don't break your concentration. Just think about what you dream. What do you see? Who do you see? Where are you in the dream? And what are you doing?"

Lloyd focused, trying not to waver from his concentration.

The first thing he heard was his father's laughter. His evil laughter.

"I-I... I hear my dad." He managed out.

He continued to focus as a figure appeared in front of him, and he realized it was his father, in his good form. For a moment, he just completely forgot he was meditating. They embraced and Lloyd felt the warmth from his body, before a sharp stabbing pain erupted in his stomach. He pulled away to see red staining his gi, his eyes wide. He looked up to see Harumi standing in front of him instead, and he collapsed onto his knees as her laughter and his father's mixed.

"'No!" His eyes snapped open, breaking his concentration, covering his stomach in protection. He gasped, air suddenly short and scarce. His body trembled, and he felt arms wrap around him.

"N-No! Let me go!" He struggled but the grip tightened and fingers ran through his hair.

"Shh, shh! It's okay, it's okay!" Lloyd cried, curling up tightly into the person's body, their arms strong yet gentle. His ear pressed against their chest, and a comforting heartbeat filled his ears. His trembling started to still, and then he realized who was hugging him.

His eyes closed as Alyx's fingers ran through his hair, her other hand stroking his back.

As Lloyd calmed down from his attack, he realized their position. She leaned against the wall, his body curled up into her figure. He was pretty much sitting in her lap. His head laid on her chest, his hair tickling her chin. One hand gripped his waist while the other soothingly stroked his head. Her gi was soft, even with the padding. Her body was warm, like Kai's. Her arms were strong and muscular and comforting. Her natural scent smelled like fresh ocean air and fire mixing.

Lloyd opened his eyes slowly, taking a deep breath. He shifted, making her arms loosen just a bit, and he was able to lift his head to look at her face. She looked down at him, a relaxed and calming smile on her pink lips.

"You okay...?" He nodded a bit.

"Thank you." Alyx smiled at him, then cupped his cheek. "That, um... So that was facing my nightmares? Have... Have you done the same?" She nodded.

"How else do you think I got this way?" She joked. He managed a tiny chuckle before curling up against her again.

"I told myself that I shouldn't get close to someone again... But... I..." He swallowed. "I feel close... To you." She was quiet before she hugged him again.

They sat in silence.

* * *

"Hello? Lloyd? Alyx?" Diana frowned as there was no reply. She set the bags down, looking around. The rent paperwork was on the coffee table. There weren't any signs of a fight. Maybe they went for a walk?

Diana peaked into the guest bedroom and then noticed their door was closed. Narrowing her eyes and reaching for the handle on her blade, she pushed in quietly and slipped in.

The scene made her freeze.

Alyx sat against the wall, Lloyd laying on her lap. His head rested on her chest, her cheek against the top of his head. Her arms were wrapped protectively around him, his hands balled and laying in his lap. Both were asleep and looked very cozy with each other.

Diana blinked, glanced around and saw the two meditating mats, and realized Alyx must've been trying to help Lloyd with his nightmares. She decided to leave them alone, and backed out slowly, closing the door quietly and walking back into the kitchen to unload the groceries.

A few minutes later, they emerged from the room, giggling at each other. They both looked sleepy, and it was nice to see Alyx get a nap. She hardly ever napped anymore.

Maybe Lloyd would be a good influence on her.

They froze as they saw Diana.

"O-Oh, hey." Alyx greeted. "When... When did you get back?"

"Oh, just now." Diana replied, putting a loaf of bread in the pantry. "What about you guys?"

"Uh... I was showing Lloyd how to meditate on his dreams."

"Yeah, thanks for that, by the way." Lloyd cleared his throat, Diana glancing over his shoulder and seeing his cheeks bright red. "What about the guys? Weren't you with Cole and Kai?"

"They went back to the house. I think they mentioned that Sensei Wu was coming back."

"Oh." Lloyd perked up. "Oh! That's right! He totally slipped my mind. You guys have to meet him."

* * *

"Master, you're back." Lloyd greeted excitedly.

"I am. I come bearing news about the Monastery. It is almost ready for move in." The ninja cheered. Lloyd felt relieved that they would be moving out of this house soon, but at the same time, knew that meant he would be moving away from the new masters.

Unless they took him up on his offer.

Wu sipped his tea, making a noise of contentment, then looked up at the ninja. "What has happened since I've been gone?"

"Lloyd almost got kidnapped, got shot up with some kind of drug, and oh, has a girlfriend now." Jay ranted before Lloyd could speak. Lloyd hit his shoulder hard, his face red.

"She's not my girlfriend!" He hissed. The others snickered, Nya and Pixal rolling their eyes at their behavior.

"Sorry, girlfriends." Jay corrected. Wu raised his eyebrows.

"You almost... You almost got kidnapped?" Lloyd sighed, then filled him in on how he met the four, and the early morning events. Wu listened carefully. The others chipped in with the parts he wasn't there for, and afterward, Wu was unusually quiet as he contemplated the story. He sipped his tea thoughtfully.

"And you say all of them are Elemental Masters?" Lloyd nodded.

"They don't have any relation to the other Time, Metal or Nature masters, but they're extremely powerful." Lloyd said and heard the others agree.

"These girls know what they're doing. They all seem to follow the other one's command. Is she the one in charge?" Kai asked.

"Alyx? Yes. She's the one who found them and trained them." Lloyd replied, making the boys smirk. "What?"

"You-"

"She trained them by herself?" Wu cut the others off, casting them all a glare at their childish behavior during these kind of times.

"I guess so." Lloyd said, kind of shrugging. He didn't have the full story, so he didn't want to go making assumptions. Wu stood, picking up his staff.

"Where is this Alyx? She intrigues me."

* * *

Diana made some delicious relaxing tea that Wu seemed to approve of. They sat down, but Alyx chose to stand, looking like a natural commander leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. Her eyes were distant, and Lloyd really wanted to go stand next to her to comfort her.

"Lloyd tells me that you all are Elemental Masters, but not related to the others we know." Wu said, breaking the silence that was just about to get awkward. The girls gave each other looks, smiles on their faces.

"We are, sir." Alyx replied. Her voice was calm and respectful. He realized only now that it had a husk to it, like she was getting over a sore throat. He didn't know why he hadn't noticed it before.

"And what is your element?" Alyx looked like she wanted to fidget, or shift, or even run, but she kept herself composed.

"I don't have an element." She replied coolly. Wu raised his eyebrow.

"You've trained three Elemental Masters, but you don't have an element?" Alyx shrugged.

"She still radiates great power that rivals Lloyd's. Perhaps you just haven't found your element yet." Zane offered. "It could just be waiting to be awakened."

 _Oh, it's been awakened, that's for sure._ Alyx thought bitterly, but didn't let it show in her face.

"Perhaps." Alyx replied. Wu studied her. The way she carried herself. The calm and respectful demeanor. Camille, Ashe and Diana seemed to listen to her, giving him the impression she was a natural leader.

Wu smiled a bit.

"How would you like to move in with us?"


	7. Chapter 7

**I do not own Ninjago, it belongs to Lego and Cartoon Network.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Seven**_

 _Don't get so close. You'll only get heartbroken again._

 _No! Get close to her! She'll be able to heal your heart!_

 _Don't get close!_

 _Get close!_

 _No!_

 _Yes!_

 _No!_

"Shut up!" Lloyd yelled in frustration, and the ninja slowly turned to look at him, their eyes wide with surprise at his sudden outburst. They glanced at each other worriedly, making him rub the side of his head in embarrassment.

"Sorry. I wasn't talking to you."

They all glanced at each other.

It's not like his behavior was hidden. They knew what was going on. He'd been more snippy, distant and quiet ever since Garmadon was locked up. Even though the city was at peace again, he wouldn't talk to them as much anymore, and he seemed to disappear a lot more often now.

Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon was suffering from anxiety and nightmares.

They watched him pick up the box he was packing and head out, and once Lloyd was out of earshot, Kai turned to the others.

"Alright, is it just me or does Lloyd seem... Distant?" He asked.

"I have noticed his mood changes quite often." Zane confirmed.

"Well... Think of all he's been through recently." Cole said, folding a shirt. "First he finds his first love, turns out she betrays him, he gets beaten up by Garmadon, his power is stripped away from him, she dies, and he loses us to the First Realm and has to avoid being captured while we're gone, and pretty much goes into hiding so he's not killed. Don't you think you would be a little distant, too, if that happened to you?" They mumbled in agreement.

"Still... It's kind of worrying." Jay said. "I wish he would talk to us."

"Maybe the new masters will be a good thing for him. He seems pretty close to them already." Nya said. "Some new blood might help him open up."

"Maybe." Kai crossed his arms. "I don't trust Alyx, though."

"Why? She seems okay." Cole commented. "They listen to her and she kind of reminds me of well... Wu."

"I know. But how can we be sure that she's not just using him? Like Harumi did?"

"Alyx wouldn't risk her life for nothing." They jumped and turned around to see Camille standing in the doorway, her eyebrow raised. They immediately looked embarrassed as she walked up to the counter and picked up a screwdriver.

"I'm sorry, Camille. I didn't know you were coming over." Nya said, guilt in her voice.

"It's fine. We left this behind the other day." She waved the screwdriver and headed for the door, leaving them to mellow in shame. They looked away, trying to hide their embarrassment.

"And for the record," they looked up at her voice. "Alyx would give her life to protect Lloyd. She would give her life to protect any of you as well. Think before you speak." She hissed and then left.

A sinking feeling set in their guts.

"Oh, this is going to be great..."

* * *

The Monastery was absolutely beautiful. It resembled similar to the last design, but with a modern feel to it. The outside walls were with black pillars. The gates had white with a beautiful and intricate design of the Ninja's symbol on the doors in gold. The shingles were black and it looked so great, they almost didn't want to step into the courtyard.

"Lloyd, would you do us the honor?" Wu asked and Lloyd looked at him, his face surprised. He looked at the others, who gestured for him to go. He gave a glance at everything, then stepped up the step and pushed the double doors open.

"Oh, wow..."

Similar to the previous design, the porch was covered with multiple doors leading into hallways, the kitchen living room, and even a new control room. Dark wooden planks lined the porch deck. The main courtyard was black concrete but padding underneath made it perfect for training and sparring.

"This place is amazing..." Nya said in awe. She grabbed Jay and Pixal's hands. "Let's go check out the control room!" They dashed into the courtyard and straight ahead, opening the sliding doors to reveal a large room. Large screens showing the map of Ninjago, news, and other updates were perched on a control panel in the middle of the room, on the walls on their right and left, and then straight back was a large screen similar to the last one on the first Bounty. The technology was new and amazing, so shiny and new.

"Oh, this place is just absolutely amazing..." Nya sighed.

"You're telling me." Jay rubbed his hands together. "Let's not destroy this place, okay, guys? I really want it to keep it this way."

"Agreed." Zane and Pixal chorused. Wu shook his head, amused and happy that his students were so happy.

"Go check out your new rooms, ninja. Girls are on the left, boys are on the right." Everyone dispersed to their new rooms, finding their own symbol on the doors in the hallway.

* * *

Lloyd found his room all the way down the hallway, seeing that it was the closest to the control room, and further from the doors. They probably didn't want his room to be first in case there was an intruder.

His fingers touched the symbol on his door, hearing the others whoop in excitement at their own room. Lloyd hesitated before opening it slowly, stepping in and slightly smiling. It had a little half bath to his right, then further in was a nice sized area. A nice sized bed, a queen he believed, sat against the right wall. A dresser was put against the opposite wall of the bed, a five drawer and the same dark oak like his bed. A nightstand of the same oak was next to the bed with a lamp, and above the bed hung a green banner with his golden dragon symbol. The bed comforter was green as well, and the sheets were white judging by the pillowcases.

He liked it.

Lloyd set his duffle down that was packed with few clothes and a couple of his belongings. Unzipping it, and laying right on top was the picture of all of the ninja and Wu in a new frame. He laid his fingers on it then set it on the nightstand, sighing.

"Whoa, nice room, dude!" He turned to see the other guys in the doorway, looking around and waiting for his approval to come in.

"Thanks. What are your rooms like?"

"Uh, totally awesome!" Jay whooped. "This new place is incredible!"

"But um... Where are the showers?" Cole asked as he looked into Lloyd''s bathroom.

They all looked at each other before heading back out into the courtyard.

* * *

"Oh, this is the life..." Jay moaned as he sunk lower so the water was above his lip.

"You're telling me..." Kai said, leaning his head back and enjoying the hot water. "So relaxing..."

As they found out, they all had their own half baths, but they were to share a bathroom with a large tub in the middle with five washing stations to the left. The tub was large enough and deep enough for all of them to relax in, and the smell of the bath oil and herbs was so relaxing and fresh...

The girls had their own, so they had this one all to themselves.

Kai looked over at Lloyd, who seemed asleep. His eyes were closed, arms crossed, and he looked... Peaceful, but worried.

"So, Lloyd, what do you think of the new Monastery?" Lloyd opened one eye, then both as he blinked.

"I like it. It's nice and calming. I hope we have some time to settle in before we start training again though." They all mumbled in agreement.

"Well, maybe we can use tonight to just relax and get to know the other girls." Cole offered. "It'd be nice to get to know them a bit before fighting alongside them." Lloyd kind of smiled.

"They're really cool." He said softly. "Really laid back and they have interesting personalities..." Cole moved over to sit next to Lloyd, nudging his shoulder with his own.

"How does your body feel? They said you were shot up with... Hunter's Venom?" He asked and Lloyd shrugged.

"My data says that Hunter's Venom is an incredibly potent sedative used by animal hunters. It's never been used on humans." Zane informed. Jay lifted his head out of the water so he could speak.

"But apparently it works on humans, too. If it made Lloyd feel like that, then it's potent enough to hurt them."

"We'll need to ask them." They nodded.

After a moment of silence, Jay spoke up.

"Do you know what this stuff is made out of? The oil I mean." Lloyd reached out of the water and picked up a bottle, turning it over and reading it.

"It says it's made out of herbal leaves that soothe and relieve muscle pains and aches. A bunch of different names that I do not know how to pronounce." Lloyd set it back down. "At least they're thinking of how we feel after a battle or training session."

"Right?" Kai moved the water a bit. "It feels so good..."

"I wonder how powerful they really are." Cole commented.

"Who? The new masters?" Cole nodded.

"We did watch them fight, but what is the actual extent of their power?"

"Camille could control Zane if she wanted to. Diana can talk to plants. Ashe can teleport in the moment." Lloyd summarized before submerging himself to wet his hair.

"They can do what?!"

* * *

"Is Alyx going to join us?" Nya asked as they settled happily in the bathtub. The three girls glanced at each other before shaking their heads.

"No, sorry. She's... Um... She's meditating." Nya raised her eyebrow, glancing at the clock.

"At... 8?"

"It's not unusual for her to meditate at this time." Diana said, running her fingers through her hair.

"You do know I'm a nindroid, correct?" Pixal asked slowly. "I do know when you are lying." Nya frowned.

"Well, that's not how you want to start a friendship."

"Alyx is..." Ashe fought for the word.

"Self-conscious." Camille finished.

"Yes, thank you."

"Self-conscious? She seems pretty relaxed with her body."

"While covered up." Diana replied. "Alyx... She's been through some pretty insane stuff. Her body is like... Well, like a beautiful temple that's been hit too many times. She's got scars and tattoos, not to mention she doesn't feel like she's quite good enough to be an Elemental Master." Nya and Pixal looked at each other then back at them.

"She's really that unsure?"

"It took us a few months to even find out her story. She has a lot of... Trust issues."

"Oh." They went quiet for a moment.

"Well... I guess we won't stop until we find out her secrets, right?"

"Heh, good luck with that."

* * *

"Zane, that was freaking delicious. I think you rival Diana's cooking, honestly." Ashe said as they gathered to relax in the living room. A nice spacious couch that could practically fit all of them, a couple of armchairs and bean bags, and a nice sized TV with the newest gaming stations that had Jay and Kai shaking with delight.

Zane chuckled. "Thank you, Ashe. I'm sure Diana's is quite delightful as well."

"Oh, no, I'm nothing close to you at all." She replied. "I'm decent at most." Camille scoffed from her beanbag.

"Please, the moment your spicy noodles hit my tongue, I was in heaven." Diana's cheeks tinted.

"You should do a cookoff." Kai said. "We could be the judges and everything."

"No, we're not going to do that." Both said at the same time.

"Okay, so we have two fantastic cooks in the house." Zane cleared his throat and glanced at Pixal, making Jay correct himself. "Sorry, three. But whatever you guys do, do not let Cole in the kitchen."

"Is he that bad?" Alyx asked, curled up in the corner of the couch. They almost forgot she was even there with her being so quiet.

"He once made a dish so bad it glued our mouths shut for two hours." Cole pouted.

"I've gotten better!" He defended. "I'm not that bad anymore. Besides, it's not like we've exactly had a kitchen to cook in with everything going on." He crossed his arms, frowning at all of them.

"Uh huh, keep telling yourself that, Cole."

"Hmph." He huffed.

"So, what do you guys wanna do? It's barely even ten, and Master's already in his room, so..." Jay trailed off, grinning at everyone. "Truth or dare?" As everyone groaned, he defended it.

"Hey, it would be a great way to get to know them!" He pointed at the four. "Besides, what better way than to get to know all of our secrets?"

"Oh, please..." Alyx mumbled, but it was too quiet for anyone to hear. She shifted uncomfortably, wrapping her arms around her legs in a protective manner. Ashe frowned, noticing her discomfort and smirked.

"How about this one? Ever heard of Never Have I Ever?"


	8. Chapter 8

**I do not own Ninjago, it belongs to Lego and Cartoon Network.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Eight**_

"That high school game? Sounds ridiculous." Nya commented, adjusting so her legs draped over Jay's lap. He perked up at the movement, and squeezed her hand. Ashe shook her head.

"It's actually a college game, but we can play the safe version since we have no alcohol." Alyx rolled her eyes. "Anyway, so on how to play Never Have I Ever is quite easy. You start with one person, so let's say I go first and then it proceeds to the next person, so to Cole, for instance. Everyone holds up all ten fingers and those are your lives. So I'm going to be like "never have I ever done this" and if you have done it, you have to put a finger down."

"What happens if all fingers are put down?" Pixal asked.

"Well, you lose. Whoever has the least amount of fingers put down wins." Ashe looked around at everyone. "Does that make sense?" Everyone murmured in agreement, making Ashe nod in satisfaction.

"Okay, I'll go first, and then Camille can go and then so on and so forth. So the person to your left goes next." Everyone nodded.

"Okay. Never have I ever... Drank alcohol illegally." No one put a finger down. "Huh, I'm kind of disappointed." Camille rolled her eyes.

"Okay, my turn. Never have I ever danced on live television." The four ninja glared at her as they all put a finger down.

"That's low. It was for the Fangblade, by the way." Jay hissed.

"And look how that worked out." Alyx commented. They turned their glare to her before Diana piped up.

"Never have I ever... Hmm... Oh, had a fear of water." Kai looked startled at the statement, and put a finger down. "Wait, really? That was just on a whim."

'Yeah, yeah, I know, it's a ridiculous fear."

"Is it just deep water you fear or are you afraid of drowning?" Ashe asked.

"Both."

"Ironically, it was the same time Morro came back and when Nya got her powers." Cole said.

"So... Are you still afraid of water?" Alyx asked. Kai nodded.

"Not as bad as I used to be, but I still am." Diana gestured to Jay to continue.

"Oh, okay, um... Never have I ever been... Turned into a ghost!" Cole yelped.

"Hey, that's not fair!" But he put a finger down anyway. Nya giggled.

"Okay, my turn, right? Let's see... Never have I ever been possessed or mind controlled." Lloyd frowned deeply at Nya as he put a finger down as well as Cole.

"Low, Nya, low..." Lloyd mumbled.

"Okay, okay, keep the personal attacks down, okay?" Ashe said but the smile on her face said otherwise. Kai perked up as his turn came.

"Never have I ever gotten a tattoo. I've thought about it, but I haven't." Camille, Diana, Ashe and Alyx put a finger down. Gaping, Cole managed to speak.

"All of you?" Camille pulled up her pant leg to show an elegant and detailed band around her thigh. Then she pushed it back down and showed off a tattoo on her right shoulder blade that was her Elemental symbol of Metal.

"Boom." Everyone oohed, then turned their attention to the other three.

"Well?"

"Ugh." Ashe said before pushing down her shirt to show a tattoo on her left shoulder plade that was her Elemental symbol of Time. She pulled it back up and then settled back down.

"Mine are nothing special, really." Diana said.

"Oh, come on. You just got it! Show it off!" Camille said, kicking her with her foot playfully. Diana grunted, then turned to pull off her shirt. On her right shoulder was her Elemental symbol of Nature. On the left was a crescent moon with a ball in the hollowed out part. She had a few faint scars and some fading bruises from her battles. Diana pulled her shirt back on then cuddled under a blanket, keeping her hands out to show her nine lives.

"Come on, Al. We did it, so you have to, too." Alyx threw a dirty glare at Camille.

"Fine!" She stood up, turning her back and hesitating before pulling her shirt off.

Lloyd nearly choked.

The rest stared in awe and slight horror.

The scar that Lloyd saw earlier was on her left shoulder blade of course. In the middle of her back was a trident, the midde spear stopping on the tip of her spine and the end probably ending at her tailbone. The other two spears extended to her shoulders, but gave it room for her back muscles to show off. Then on her naval was the Yin symbol on the right and on the left was the Yang symbol.

And, slashing through her trident tattoo were three claw scars.

Lloyd saw a sentence on her lower left side, but she pulled her shirt over before he could read it. Then she settled back in her corner and looked pouty, which in his opinion, was adorable.

It looked like Alyx was expecting a hoarde of questions to be thrown at her, but instead they continued on with the game, causing a look to be passed in between the four girls.

"Oh, it's my turn?" Zane asked. "Let's see... Never have I ever accidentally burned myself trying out new stunts." Kai gasped at the statement, putting a finger down.

"That is confidential!" He hissed, but Alyx noticed Lloyd put a finger down. Pixal giggled.

"Never have I ever sacrificed myself." She gave a pointed look at Zane, who put a finger down. Cole put a finger down, as well as...

"Alyx? You've tried sacrificing yourself before?" Alyx shrugged.

"It's a long story. Another time." Cole shifted uncomfortably as eyes turned to him.

"I don't know... Never have I ever... Ruined a sword while creating it?" Kai growled at him, putting another finger down. It was Lloyd's turn next, and he looked unsure.

"I don't know... Never have I ever been turned young by a weapon." A smug look came to his face as the four ninja put their fingers down, glaring at him.

Alyx was next.

She gave a shrug. "Never have I ever been kissed."

"Wait, are you serious?" Jay gasped. "Not even your awkward seventh grade first kiss?"

 _Considering I was fighting for my life in seventh grade, no._

"Nope. Never have been kissed." Jay and Nya put their fingers down.

"This game is hard." Kai whined. "It's hard to think of stuff we've never done because I'm pretty sure we've done everything in the book." Ashe hummed, giving a nod.

"Truth or dare?" Jay asked suggestively, and they all sighed.

"Fine. Jay, go first." He perked up.

"Okay, Alyx, truth or dare?" Alyx frowned at him.

"Truth."

"Where'd you get the three scars."

"In a fight when I was fifteen. All four, actually."

"What from?"

"Mutant tigers. The one on my shoulder is from the guy who stabbed me in the back."

"Literally, huh?" Nya asked. Alyx nodded.

"Yeah, not the greatest time of my life." They all nodded in agreement. "It's my turn, right?" They nodded.

"Let's see... Cole, truth or dare?"

"Uh, truth."

"Do you know where you got your elemental powers from?" Cole blinked, then shook his head, surprised it wasn't a super personal question.

"I don't know. I think I got it from an ancestor, but I've never asked which side."

"Hm." Alyx grunted, then looked deep in thought.

"Okay, Diana, truth or dare?" Cole asked.

"Truth."

"Do you have any siblings?"

"An older sister that I don't talk to." Kai and Nya looked at each other.

"Why not?" Kai asked.

"She always put me down and resented me because I got more attention after I was born." Diana shrugged. "Told me I would never amount to anything and so I was quite happy when she went away to college."

"That's awful."

"Yeah. Oh well, I don't talk to her much anymore, so whatever."

They played truth or dare until they were finally caught when Wu came down to a bunch of laughter, raising his eyebrows at the sight of Kai doing a handstand, his shirt off while Jay did everything to make him laugh.

"What is going on in here?" He asked, and immediately the room shut up.

"Uh... Playing truth or dare?" Cole said, trying to sound as innocent as possible.

"It is midnight. You should all be in bed asleep so you are well rested for tomorrow."

"Oh, come on, we just moved in." Kai said as he got back on his feet, although he wobbled and had to be balanced by Zane. He blinked, looking dizzy. Nya handed his shirt back to him.

"Yeah, shouldn't we have a couple of days to relax and unpack before we get back to training?" Jay asked. Wu sighed.

"Misako and I must travel to Four Weapons in two days. I want you all to be briefed and settled with one another before we leave. I also want to see how well these four are before I send you all in to fight together." Wu shook his head. "You cannot mix two liquids together if they are not compatible. Now, clean the kitchen and straighten this area out, then go to bed."

As he walked, they started mumbling under their breaths.

"What was that?" They shut up.

"Yes, Master!" As soon as he left, Jay grinned.

"Last one out has to do the kitchen and living room!" And was out the door before anyone could protest. It took a second for everyone to process, then they scrambled to leave.

The last ones to the door were Alyx and Lloyd.

"Oops, looks like you two are going to have to do them! Night!" Ashe giggled, and dashed out before Alyx could do something to her. They were left in an awkward and disappointed silence, before Lloyd cleared his throat.

"I'll do the kitchen." Alyx mumbled and headed into the next room dejectedly, making Lloyd smile to himself.

* * *

There were so many dishes.

Jesus Christ.

Alyx rubbed her back as she started the dishwasher then wiped the counters down. As soon as they were clean and the dishwasher was going, she shut the light off and stepped into the living room to see it nicely straightened out nicely and in a neat manner. Her eyes scanned the room before they laid on a green bundle, and shook her head.

Lloyd must've sat down to wait for her and ended up falling asleep.

He laid on his side, one arm hanging over his side and the other tucked under his head. His legs were curled up against his body. His blond hair was soft looking and fluffy and his face was serene and peaceful.

Alyx groaned inwardly. She thought about just leaving him and putting a blanket over him, but decided it would be best if he slept in his own bed. Sighing, she bent down and slipped her right arm underneath his knees, then her other under his arms, lifting him and carrying him just like last week. His head rolled and settled against her shoulder, his hair tickling her cheek.

Manuevering through the door so she would bang his ankles or head on anything, she walked across the porch to their side of the Monastery.

Alyx pushed open the door slightly, peeking in to make sure all of the others were asleep before slipping through and shutting the door as quietly as possible behind her. She made no noise as she walked down to the end of the hallway to his room. Once she found the door with his symbol on it, she pushed it open and stepped in, shutting his door behind her with her foot. Spotting his bed, she walked over and gently laid him down, slipping her arm away from his knees and pulling back the covers so she could settle him in. After she got his legs under, she pulled out her arm and adjusted the blankets so he was covered completely.

Taking one last look at his face, she turned to get out before the others caught her. That wouldn't be good.

A hand grabbed her wrist, making her freeze and turn around to see Lloyd still asleep, but his hand was tightly wrapped around her wrist, holding onto it with great strength.

"Lloyd..." She hissed quietly, turning so she could try and pry his fingers away from her wrist, but she didn't want to hurt him. He whined at the feeling of her trying to detach his hand, and instead, rolled over and pulled her down. Alyx stifled a yelp and managed to catch herself before she landed on top of him, bracing herself with her left hand, her right hand awkwardly under her arm, Lloyd still holding on tight.

 _Oh, no, this isn't good. If someone catches me like this, I'm so dead._

"Al... yx..." She nearly squeaked at him mumbling her name, and a happy smile settled on his face, a blissful look coming upon it a moment later. Alyx tilted her head up, cursing the Cloud Kingdom in her mind before looking over her shoulder, making sure no one was coming, then managed to crawl over his body and settle next to him. His hand left her wrist and instead intertwined with her hand, and she sighed, giving his hand a gentle squeeze before adjusting her body so she was facing him.

The moonlight from the small windows shone in and illuminated his face beautifully. He was handsome and adorable. He still had a childlike innocence to him when he was asleep and vulnerable, but looked mature and very adult when he was leading, especially during the time of the Resistance. His hair framed his forehead cutely, a bit long and he really needed a bit of a trim. His freckles were bright with the moonlight, and his lips were parted so cutely and looked so...

Alyx bit her lip.

 _You can't think of him that way, stupid! What would the others think?_

But another looked relaxed her and the thoughts faded away. She squeezed his hand once more before closing her eyes.

"Goodnight, Lloyd..."


	9. Chapter 9

**I do not own Ninjago, it belongs to Lego and Cartoon Network.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Nine**_

Lloyd slept solid, which was definitely a first in a very long time.

He wondered what it was about Alyx. Being around her was just so comforting and relaxing. Her hugs were so warm and comfortable, and his body molded against hers like a perfect puzzle piece. She held him with protection, but he suspected that it wasn't because he was the Green Ninja. He wanted to know everything about her, but was hesitant of past events. What if something happened again? What if he couldn't protect her or himself or the others?

Lloyd stared at her sleeping face, taking in the scars and everything that made her Alyx. He looked at their intertwined hands. They fit so perfect. Her fingers were long and thin, but her hand strength was amazing. Her right hand was in his left, tan and fair skin. He smiled at their hands. Perhaps they would be able to do this without hiding it.

Lloyd shook the thought from his head. No, not after Harumi.

He hadn't meant to pull her into his bed. It was in the moment, and he didn't want her to leave. He wasn't quite in a deep sleep when he felt her pick him up, carry him to his room and then when she pulled away after tucking him in with gentleness, he panicked inwardly and grabbed her wrist without thinking. When she tried to pry his fingers away, he tightened. He didn't want her to leave. He didn't know why. He just felt safer when she was around him. When he felt her give up and lay next to him, he felt a wave of comfort wash over him.

He also felt bad since he technically forced her into doing so and he hoped she wouldn't be mad at him for it.

Alyx begin to stir.

Lloyd watched her take a breath before breathing it out through her nose, opening her eyes slowly. She processed his face before smiling.

"Morning..." She mumbled. Lloyd smiled.

"Morning..." She lifted her head to look around, then laid her head back down.

"Did we really sleep together?"

"'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-" She covered his mouth, chuckling.

"If you slept well, then I don't mind. Just tell me that you want me to stay next time, okay?" He blushed and nodded, her hand pulling away. "What time is it?"

"I think it's around six." He rolled over and picked up his phone. 6:24. "Yeah, almost six-thirty."

"Oh, so we can sleep a bit more." He chuckled and nodded, scooting a bit closer. "How'd you sleep?"

"Better... Better than I have in a couple of years." Alyx smiled. "You?"

"Pretty good." She glanced at the covers. "I was a bit cold last night, though."

"O-Oh!" He quickly pulled the blankets up to cover her legs, making her stifle her laughter. He squeezed her hand, making her squeeze back.

"Let's hope Sensei doesn't decide to do Sunrise Exercise." Alyx snorted.

"What is that?"

"He makes us get up early and do stretches. It's so stupid because he usually does it around this time-"

The loud banging of a gong interrupted him. He groaned.

"I spoke too soon." Alyx looked panicked as they heard the doors of the other ninja open.

"How are you going to leave?" He whispered.

"I don't know!" They quickly untangled themselves, which they both seem disappointed at, and Lloyd jumped as he heard a knock.

"Lloyd, get up. Pretty sure Sensei's gonna try and torture us." Kai's groggy voice came through. Alyx looked at him, her eyes wide in panic. Not something Lloyd wanted him to see. She backed herself into a corner, then disappeared in a puff of purple smoke. His eyes widened, and heard another knock.

"Lloyd? Are you awake?" Lloyd straightened his clothes and then opened the door, seeing Kai looking at him with a raised eyebrow. His hair was still very fluffy, his clothes wrinkled from sleep.

"You okay?" He asked. Lloyd nodded, swallowing.

"Yeah." Another bang of the gong had them flinching.

"Ugh, please don't be Sunrise Exercise." Kai mumbled as he walked ahead. Lloyd looked back in his room, seeing no sign of Alyx and hoped she was able to get out.

"Good morning, students." Wu greeted as they gathered in the courtyard.

"It's too early, Sensei! The sun barely rose like ten minutes ago!" Jay complained.

"Three minutes, actually." Zane corrected. Jay turned his head to glare at the nindroid.

"Um... Why are we out so early? Alyx never even got us up this early." Camille asked. Alyx appeared behind her and slapped the back of her head, Lloyd feeling relieved that she got out.

Wu smiled.

"We are doing Sunrise Exercise." The ninja groaned.

"What's Sunrise Exercise?" Diana asked.

"You had to ask." Kai hissed.

"Change into your gis. We shall begin in fifteen minutes."

* * *

They lined up after taking a quick shower and changed into their gis.

"Don't we get breakfast?" Jay asked. "You can't stretch on an empty stomach, you know."

"Don't worry, Jay. Pixal and Misako are making breakfast as we speak." Wu turned around. "Now, Pinching Crab." The ninja took form immediately, and although it took the girls a second to process, they soon followed.

"This isn't so bad." Camille whispered. "Why do you hate this so much?"

"Just wait." Cole replied. "It gets worse."

As it went on, the stretches tested their flexibility and balance.

"I'm regretting this." Camille mumbled as they took a form of a rather hard stretch. They had to do a one handed stand with their legs crossed, their other hand barely supporting them.

"See?" Kai grunted, then looked over at Alyx, who was performing the formation with her eyes closed, her body relaxed. She held herself up with her left hand, her right extended in perfect formation. "How is she doing that?"

"Alyx has been in tighter situations than you guys have ever been." Diana replied, sweat beading on her face. "She's been flexible ever since she was a kid."

"Showoff." Cole mumbled.

"Not a showoff, Cole." Zane replied. "I sense that Alyx has gone through more than we could ever imagine and-" Jay wobbled, and lost his balance. He yelped as he toppled into Zane, who toppled into Cole and caused a chain reaction. The only one who remained was Alyx, and at the sound of the loud crash, opened her eyes to see them all piled on top of each other. Wu broke his formation, seeing that she was the only one who remained in her position, and shook his head.

"Ah, yes, I present to you the greatest ninja in all of Ninjago." Alyx pointed to them with one hand, the other supporting her weight perfectly. Wu couldn't help but chuckle.

"You all have gotten much farther than normal. It goes to show how much you have improved since you first became my students." Everyone slowly untangled themselves and stood up.

"Yeah, well, when you've faced giant snakes, the Overlord twice, nindroids, Anacondrai, ghosts, an entire biker gang, dragon hunters and dragons, you tend to get some experience." Cole said.

"Just rub it in." Camille hissed at him.

"We've faced them, too, dummy." Ashe said, nudging her arm. Alyx flipped from her positon, landing smoothly and calmly. The ninja cast her glares, until Lloyd hit them all on the heads. He saw they were clearly jealous and he, to be honest, was quite jealous as well. Misako peaked out from the kitchen.

"Ah, so no muscles have been torn?" Kai rubbed his thigh.

"Not yet." She chuckled.

"Well, breakfast is ready." She disappeared back into the kitchen, making them all look at each other before they ran into the dining room like savages.

Alyx rolled her eyes, beginning to follow when she felt a staff tap her shoulder. She turned to see Wu.

"Oh, hello, Sensei." She greeted him and gave him a small bow. "What can I do for you?"

"I would like to speak with you after breakfast, if that's alright. I have a few questions for you."

A weight of dread settled in her stomach.

"Um, of course. Anything." Alyx watched him walk into the dining room, seeing Lloyd peak out to give her a look of curiosity. Alyx bowed her head and followed him in.

* * *

The ninja were warming up when Wu called Alyx into the Bridge. The doors shut behind them, and they looked at each other with worry.

"Uh, is she okay?" Cole asked. Camille and the girls shrugged.

"Maybe he just wants to ask her about her powers." Kai asked as he pulled on his hood. "If she has any." He added under his breath.

"Alyx must have powers if her energy levels match Lloyd's." Zane said. "But... It is strange that she hasn't found them. Perhaps she has a fear that is holding her back, like how we couldn't summon our power dragons."

"We still can't." Jay said, then turned to the girls. "Do you know why Alyx can't unlock her powers?" They gave each other hesitant looks, looking for the words to avoid the question.

Lloyd saved them.

"Whatever is holding her back, she needs to face her fear on her own." He said. "It's not our buisness."

"Okay, okay." Kai defensively. "Looks like the boyfriend is getting his panties in a ruffle." Lloyd growled at him.

"Kai, that's inappropriate." They turned to the doors, where Ray and Maya stood, their eyebrows raised disapprovingly. They both had backpacks and looked quite annoyed at his joke.

"H-Hey!" Kai greeted, trying to sound innocent. "I thought Sensei was going to meet you at Four Weapons." They shrugged, stepping in and taking in the new Monastery.

"We finished our projects a bit early, so we decided to drop by." Maya said, greeting Nya with a kiss on the forehead and greeting Kai with a kiss on the cheek.

"Mom!" He pouted.

"Projects?" Jay asked. "Did you guys create a new weapon?" His voice was teasing, but they simply chuckled and shook their heads.

"Where is Wu?"

"In the Bridge." Misako said as she came out from the living room. "It's good to see you both." Ray grinned then ruffled Kai's hair.

"Anything to see these two parasites." They laughed, before the couple noticed the three in the corner, very awkwardly standing there, unsure of what to do.

"And who might you be? Elemental masters?" Maya asked. The three looked panicked. Lloyd was doing everything he could to hide his before the doors to the Bridge opened. Wu stood in the doorway, and his eyes slightly widened at the sight of them.

"Oh, I wasn't expecting to see you until tomorrow." Wu said, clearly shocked.

"Why, who's here?" Alyx appeared next to him, adjusting her gloves before stopping cold as she saw them. The color drained from her face, and her eyes seemed to turn dark like storm clouds at the sight.

Ray dropped the case he'd been holding, Maya tearing up and choking.

They stared at each other before Maya stepped forward.

"Alyx? Is... Is that you?"


	10. Chapter 10

**I do not own Ninjago, it belongs to Lego and Cartoon Network.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Ten**_

Kai and Nya were extremely confused.

Ray, Maya and Alyx were in a staring match, the couple taking in every detail of Alyx as they stood there in shock.

"Is... Is that really you?" Maya asked once again.

As soon as Alyx gave a nod, Ray and Maya were there in a flash, wrapping her up in the biggest and tightest hug they'd ever seen. Alyx let out a quiet sob, burying her face into Ray's neck while Maya stroked her hair.

"Do you guys know each other?" Nya asked. "Was she with you guys while you were in Crux's hold?" They slightly pulled away, but they never took their eyes off her.

"Something like that." Ray said. "Come, we... We need to have a discussion." Kai and Nya looked at each other before following them into the Bridge, Maya closing the door behind them. After a moment of silence, they turned to Wu, who put on the most innocent and blank face that immediately told them he was guilty of something.

"Sensei," Cole asked, his voice calm but warning. "What's going on?"

Jay gasped in realization as to why Alyx was putting on her gloves.

"She does have her elemental power, doesn't she!? That little liar!" Zane kicked his ankle to shut him up. Jay yelped, holding his leg in pain.

"Is that true?" Cole asked. Wu opened his mouth to speak when they heard shouting.

"What the hell do you mean by that!?" They looked at each other as Kai shouted. "Don't you think you left out a huge detail about your captivity!? That she's the result from it!?"

"Uh oh." Camille mumbled and they begin to back away, uncomfortable by the rising situation.

"We have a sister?!"

* * *

They did not want to see the flaming demon come out of the Bridge, so they quickly dispersed to their rooms, their minds reeling.

Lloyd buried his face into his pillow, trying to block out the sound of Kai's ranting, when suddenly it went quiet. He looked up with worry, then slowly pushed himself off his bed and walked into the hallway. The others had clearly heard the abrupt stop of his ranting so they all crept toward the door leading out to the courtyard, peaking out and seeing a dark purple cloud on Kai's mouth, Alyx's hand lit up in the same aura.

"Sorry. That's all I could think of to shut you up."

Jay recognized the aura.

"She can use dark magic?" Jay whispered harshly, very bad memories coming back.

"Shh." They whispered back at him, then returned their attention to the scene. Kai's hands were sparking with fire, and a tiny little flame had sparked on top of his head, making him look kind of ridiculous.

"We were going to tell you. That's why we came here in the first place." Maya said, her voice calm and understanding. She was clearly trying to get him to calm down.

"I agree with Kai." Nya said, standing next to her brother. "How could you keep something like this from us? We... We just need time to mull this all over. Mull... Her over." Nya looked in Alyx's direction as she said that, her eyes saying she was angry and almost disgusted. A flash of hurt crossed on Alyx's face, and the aura disappeared from her hand. The cloud disappeared from Kai's mouth, making him purse his lips in anger.

"Well, you were kind of busy saving the world." Ray hissed. "And in another realm for a week! We didn't even know she was alive until now." He took her hand, but Alyx pulled away, clenching her fists.

"I-I'm sorry." She mumbled. "I'm... I need to cool off." She jumped onto the roof, ran across and then jumped off. A few minutes later, a red and blue dragon was flying away.

The four stood there in silence for a moment, watchinng her dragon disappear into the clouds. Lloyd and the others emerged from their hiding spot, Wu and Misako doing the same. An uncomfortable silence hung in the air, before Camille looked up into the sky and seeing dark clouds beginning to form.

"I'm going to find Alyx." She said, shooting a glance at the four before summoning her dragon, which was silver and small, and took off in the direction Alyx had disappeared in. Lloyd started to follow, but Diana grabbed his arm.

"Let Camille handle this. She and Alyx have a bond greater than ours." Diana turned to the still fuming Kai and Nya. "And both of you need to cool off." Her gentle tone was replaced with a mean one, and they looked stunned at it, before they turned and went to their rooms.

Maya collapsed onto the step, burying her face into her hands as she started to cry.

"I told you we should have told them after they defeated the Twins." Ray said softly and sat down next to her, pulling her into a gentle hug.

"And give them false hope? We didn't even know she was alive until now, Ray!" Maya buried her face into his neck as she released a sob. Ray laid his cheek on her head, his eyes distant as he was thinking.

"Um... I don't mean to interrupt..." Diana said, her voice gentle and reassuring. "But there are some of us who would like an explanation." Ray turned his head, seeing all of their curious looks.

"Right." He rubbed Maya's back, taking a deep breath.

"About two years after we were taken, Maya became pregnant. Upon learning this, Crux wanted her to terminate, but I managed to convince him that there was no chance the baby would get elemental powers. How wrong was I." Ray shook his head. "Alyx was born healthy and happy. At a young age she understood what was going on. We would tell her about her brother and sister, about how excited they would be to learn of her, but we needed to break out first in order to do so. When she was ten, we learned she had the element of water. We had to keep it secret, but we helped her control her powers. Then... About a year later... We found out she had the element of fire as well."

"Whoa, wait, what?" Jay yelped. "A person can have _two_ elements? Uh, that's not possible unless they're a destined green ninja." Jay shot Lloyd a look.

"We didn't think it was possible, either. But Alyx proved us wrong. She became strong, and we knew it would only be a matter of time before Crux found out. We were able to stage a riot, and she was able to escape."

"How old was she?" Cole asked.

"She was just about to turn fourteen." Ray sighed, his face sullen. "We told her to find Wu or Four Weapons, but..." Wu hung his head in shame.

"How far apart are all of them?" Zane asked. "Kai just turned twenty, and Nya is eighteen. Alyx seems much older than them."

"Have you seen what her body has been through?" Diana asked. "She had to mature fast."

"Okay, so, to summarize: Ray and Maya had a daughter that Kai and Nya didn't know about, was born with two elements instead of one, is insanely powerful, and is now loose while her emotions are all stirred up! This is just great!" Jay paced, running his fingers through his hair in agitation.

"Is he always like this?" Ashe asked and they nodded.

Lloyd lifted his head to the sky as the clouds gathered to darken the sky. A low rumble sounded, indicating that the storm was arriving soon.

 _Please be okay._

* * *

Camille found Alyx sitting on top of a small mountain about a mile away from the Monastery's mountain. She sat cross legged, staring blankly into nowhere.

Camille had never seen her so broken.

Her dragon disappeared as she hopped off and landed next to her, making Alyx stiffen at the sound.

"I don't want to talk."

"Okay." Camille plopped down next to her and begin to stack some smooth rocks, the cool air refreshing and the faint smell of incoming rain relaxing her nose. Alyx was quiet, but Camille sensed her watching out of the corner of her eye.

After a stretch of silence, Alyx finally relaxed and let out a sigh.

"That's exactly why I didn't want to tell them." Camille looked over at her, seeing her pull off her gloves and flex her hands.

"But don't you think it would've been worse if you waited any longer? You've already waited for this long and look how it turned out. I think it was for the best your parents showed up." Camille straightened her shoulders. "Watch out, Ninjago, the Big Three is on the loose!" Alyx's lips twitched upwards.

"The Big Three?"

Camille grinned at her. "What, don't like it?" Alyx let out a small chuckle, casting her gaze downwards.

"Do you really think it was right to tell them?"

"I do. And I know they'll accept you. They just have to wrap their minds around the fact that they have a little sister now." Camille nudged her with her elbow. "It's going to be quite interesting watching the three of you fight together now."

Alyx shook her head, beginning to open her mouth when something sharp pierced their necks. Camille let out a gasp, reaching up to feel for what hit her and feeling a soft feather, before her body swayed and she fell back, her gaze finding Alyx in the same position. She tried to reach out, but her hands were numb and tired. Spots begin to fill her vision, and she did everything to blink them away.

Light filled her vision as she begin to lose consciousness, but not before she heard a voice rasp out:

"Two birds with one stone. Master will be pleased."

And then it went all black.


	11. Chapter 11

**I do not own Ninjago, it belongs to Lego and Cartoon Network.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Eleven**_

 _The first time she saw her was the most impressive first impression she'd ever seen._

 _Her clothes had been torn in multiple places, and blood replaced the area. Her hands were cut up and covered in blood. She held onto a staff that helped her limp into the village. Her hood masked her head, but wisps of black hair poked out._

 _And lifeless silver eyes stared straight into her soul._

 _The townfolk took her in and healed her, but Camille could never get close to her._

 _That is until she was gathering some water from the nearby stream for the blacksmith shop and saw her meditating on top of a rock._

 _Her hair looked like silver in the sunlight when it was really black. Her tan skin peaked out from bandages upon bandages on her body. She was dressed in Chama Villages' standard clothing: a simple short gray robe, black tights and flats. She sat in a cross legged position, her bandaged hands resting on top of her knees, her middle fingers and thumbs not quite touching. She couldn't see her face, but she had a feeling a peaceful look rested on her face._

 _And then she noticed it._

 _Fire and water streams danced around each other in a gorgeous fashion. They wrapped around her like dragons doing a dance with each other, the flames lighting up her skin beautifully. The water completed it by gently showering her with mist, but somehow the water didn't cancel out the fire._

 _It was the most gorgeous thing sixteen-year-old Camille Tomaro had ever seen in her life._

 _And then she spoke._

 _"My name is Alyx. What is yours?"_

The ground was cold and uninviting. The dim lighting that filled her vision was a result from poor fluorescent bulbs and the sound of muffled shuffling filled her ears.

Camille groaned as she came to, her entire body throbbing from the sedative. She laid on the ground while she gained her bearings, and feeling back, before slowly pushing herself from the ground into a sitting position, propping her back against the wall and managing to look around. There was something heavy on her wrists, making her look down at them. Venge Stone cuffs. Of course. Her cell was solid block, the bars to her right showing a dim hallway, an identical cell straight across from her. Using her hands, since her legs weren't quite awake yet, she dragged herself to the cell doors to see more identical cells on both sides. A few outlines of figures sat in the darkness, but it was too dark to see their appearance.

Gulping, she managed to speak.

"Hello?" Someone shifted next door to her right.

"I thought I heard someone new." The voice was male. He sounded tired and hoarse, like he'd been drained of all energy. Camille winced. She needed to get out of here and fast.

"Where am I? Who are you?"

"Name's Morro. Welcome to the White Void."

"I told you to stop greeting people like that, Morro." Snapped a female voice in the cell to her left. "God. Don't listen to him, that's not what this place is actually called. I'm Estelle. What's your name?"

"Camille." She replied, then as soon as it processed, jumped. "Wait, as in the Morro who tried-"

"Yes, the Morro who took over the Green Ninja's body and tried to curse the whole world of Ninjago. Surprise, I'm alive." He was now irritated, and Camille took a moment to process it.

"How...?"

"It's a long story. What about you? How'd you get caught?"

"Uh... I was comforting my friend when we were sedated and taken. Speaking of which, have you seen her? She has black hair, gray eyes and is wearing a black gi with the symbol of Yin and Yang on it? Anyone?" There was silence in reply, before Estelle spoke.

"Sorry, sweetie. You're the only one they've brought in today." Camille groaned, rubbing her head in frustration.

"Ugh, great. This is just what we need."

After a moment, feeling in her legs returned, and slowly she stood, wobbling as she did before she begin to pace, going up to the doors and looking out. The hall stretched for about three cells down her right before a hallway splitting in two directions took its place. To her left were more cells then they stopped at a solid wall. Counted five down her side and eight lined the opposite side.

"Hmm..." Camille plopped down on the ground, taking off her shoe and rolling up the cuff of her pants.

"Uh, what are you doing?" Asked a female voice from across the hall.

"Getting out of here." She replied without looking up, and found the small metal device that had been sewn into her pants a while back. Finding the small pushed up button, she pressed it, feeling it buzz and perked up.

"Yes!" She told herself before pulling down the cuff of the pants and pulling her shoes back on and adjusting it just like before. Then she hopped up and pressed her side against the bars, extending her arm through the hole, smirking to herself. At least her body was good for one thing. Pulling herself back out, she looked around, making sure there were no patrols before she resumed the position, slowly shaking her body as she slipped through the bars. The others prisoners shifted in shock, and she heard a few mutter among themselves.

Camille slid out of the cell with a pop, doing a victory pump of her fist before looking down the hall again and then walked up to Morro's cell.

She'd heard stories, but seeing him in person was different.

His clothes were tattered, torn in a few places with bruises dotting his arms and legs here and there. His black hair with the one green streak through it was now a bit past his shoulders, his bright green eyes wide with shock.

"How did you..." He trailed off at her grin.

"I'm getting us all out of here."

"And how do you plan on doing that?" He asked, still clearly shocked by her quick escape. Camille opened her mouth to reply before she heard heavy footsteps coming up the hallway, talking blending in with it. She looked around quickly before quickly hiding behind some stacked crates.

"Did you hear that she got her vessel?"

"Dude, serious?!"

"Yup!"

"Does that mean it's going to happen?"

"Yeah, I think it'll happen tonight. She needs time to adjust to the body, but as soon as she does, we're breaking him out."

"I can't wait." Camille frowned, trying to figure out who they were talking about. Break who out? Was Alyx this vessel they were talking about? If so, Camille needed to get to her and fast... Wherever she was.

Holding her breath, she listened to them check the cells.

"Didn't a new one come in today?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Because they're not in here."

"They should be." Camille quietly walked out from her hiding spot, seeing them looking into her cell with confusion. She crouched low, approaching them with caution and seeing the silver keys dangling from the belt. As one of the guards reached for the radio to call it in, she hopped up and grabbed them by their mouths, making them let out muffled shouts of surprise. She knocked their heads together, knowing they would have some good concussions for a couple of days, and watched them sag onto the floor like sacks of potatoes. Grinning, she picked up the keys and uncuffed herself before going through and unlocking all of the other cells.

Four elemental masters, plus Morro and Estelle, and Camille made seven people. She unlocked all of their cuffs, slightly hesitating at Morro, who frowned at her, knowing what she was thinking.

"I'm not evil anymore, by the way." He murmured, and she unlocked the cuffs, then stepped back to take in the others. The masters of Poison, Shadow, Mind and Smoke stood with them, looking tired and weak, probably from being cuffed with Venge Stone for so long.

Estelle was pretty. An older woman with black hair with gray streaks running through, emerald eyes like Cole's, and pretty natural dark skin. Her clothes were also tattered: black torn leggings, a gray robe like her old village's garb, and simple flats that were surprisingly in good shape.

Morro looked tired and guilty. He probably had a lot to think about with however long he had been there. He needed some good reassurance and some forgiveness.

"How are we going to get out? This place is swarming with Oni." Shade said, crossing his arms. "Our powers are weak, too."

"Look, we just need to find my friend and get out of here. I have no idea what they're planning, but I have a feeling it's not good."

* * *

The beeping noise caught their attention.

Looking up, they saw a silver dot blinking brightly. Jumping up, Pixal and Zane immediately set to working on it.

"That must be Camille's GPS!" Ashe announced, making them all look at her with wide eyes.

"You put GPS on her?"

"We all have it." Diana said. "They're sewn into our pants and we can activate them at will. Camille must've activated it."

"It looks like the transmission is coming from the Wailing Alps." The ninja gave noises of disgust, Lloyd looking at them curiously.

"What?" Cole laid his hand on his shoulder.

"You don't remember, but when you were possessed, we were trying to get to the Cloud Kingdom to retrieve the Sword of Sanctuary, and we had to travel to the Wailing Alps in order to pass through into it."

"Oh." Lloyd replied, his voice very quiet.

"Well, it's the perfect place for a bad guy to hide." Jay commented. "No one would think of going near a mountain with gusts of wind strong enough to blow them off."

"True. I'm sending the Falcon to try and locate them." Zane plugged himself into the computer, showing the Falcon circling the tall mountain, giving a thermal scan of the place. They waited as it loaded, before all color drained out of their faces.

A large cluster of heat signatures appeared in the base of the mountain. Not out, but actually inside the mountain, like it had been hollowed out.

"It looks as though a large group of people have made themselves a base." Zane explained. "I'm also detecting high levels of power."

"Can you identify their heat signatures?" Ashe asked.

"I'll try, but with these many signatures, it's going to be difficult." Jay gasped and pointed at a top spot where there was two heat signatures, about three levels above the cluster.

"Maybe that's them!" Zane blinked, the vision immediately clearing and showing three figures.

One was kneeling, their arms chained and extended in a way that looked very uncomfortable.

Ashe and Diana looked at each other, worry and concern lacing their faces.

"How long is it until there?"

"By dragon ride... About six hours."

"Six hours!? That's too late! Who knows what could happen in six hours!" Ashe groaned, covering her face before turning and banging her forehead against the wall.

"Ashe and I are the only ones who can summon our dragons." Diana said, patting her back. "Since some people can't."

"Look, we haven't been able to summon them since the whole Acronix and Crux fiasco. Something about it freaked us out and we haven't been able to. You can't blame us."

"Don't let fear control you." Cole, Zane and Jay looked startled at Diana's statement.

"What?" Cole squeaked.

"Don't let fear control you. Alyx used to say that." Diana replied. "She would tell us when we would struggle with our... Um... When we started to work on summoning our dragons, we would have a fear that we would have to overcome in order to do so. Once we faced it, we were able to summon our dragons."

"Ugh, you mean we have to do it again?" Jay asked. "We did that at the Tournament of Elements! Zane found that out!"

"If it's to save them, we have to." Cole said, then looked out the door. "Should we check on Kai and Nya? And tell Sensei and them?"

"What we need to do-" An alarm went off suddenly, making them jump.

"I don't like that alarm." Jay whimpered. Zane pulled the plug from his head, the Falcon immediately logging off to return.

"It's... It's Kryptarium Prison. Someone's trying to break in!"


	12. Chapter 12

**I do not own Ninjago, it belongs to Lego and Cartoon Network.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Twelve**_

"What's going on?" Kai asked as he and Nya entered. His voice sounded hoarse, like he'd been screaming into his pillow. Knowing Kai, he probably had been. Ray, Maya, Misako and Wu followed shortly.

"It's Kryptarium Prison." Zane said shortly. "Someone is trying to break in."

"Let's just hope they're not trying to break Garmadon out."

"It'd be impossible. He's in maximum security in a Venge Stone cell with the greatest trained officers out there. They'd be fools trying to break in." Lloyd crossed his arms in a matter of fact manner, and they looked at each other before a video popped up, showing Gale Gossip.

 _"We are here live at Kryptarium Prison as the entire Police force and the prison's security is trying to hold back the intruders! We are now getting word that... Oh, no."_ She paled a shade. _"The intruders are trying to set Lord Garmadon free!"_

Eyes slowly turned to Lloyd as he paled.

"B-But... The entire gang of SOG was wiped out after Lloyd defeated him! They were all sent to the prison. How are there more?"

Diana stared at the computer screen for a moment before her eyes widened and she released a shaky breath.

"The Oni." They turned to look at her. "Think about it. The night they tried to take Lloyd they were probably trying to get him as some kind of ransom. Him for Garmadon. But instead they probably had to change their plan and take Garmadon themselves."

"But Camille and Alyx. What about them?"

"That was probably a diversion. To throw us off so we didn't go straight to the prison."

"They need our help." Cole said. "I know how important Alyx and Camille is, trust me. We've had to save our friends more than once. But if they release Garmadon, the whole land will succumb to both the Oni and Garmadon. We have to stop them."

"Between our two dragons, we won't get there in time. Not unless..." Diana trailed off, turning her gaze over to Ashe. Ashe immediately caught the look and backed up.

"I can't do it yet! I'm not ready! You know what Alyx said! If I attempt that, I could pass out! My power could... Well..." Diana took her hands, squeezing them reassuringly.

"You must try." Ashe stared at her before closing her eyes, turning and walking out of the Bridge. They followed as she stood in the center, seeming to give a prayer before turning to look at them.

"In order for this to work, you all need to touch me in some way." She looked them all over. "There's nine of us. This is going to take a lot of energy and render me useless for who knows how long. We get one shot at this." They nodded and pulled on their masks, making sure their weapons were on their backs before walking up to her to surround her.

Ray grabbed Kai's arm, making him turn to him.

"Bring her home." Kai stared at him for a second before he nodded.

"We will."

They surrounded her, everyone giving each other looks before laying their hands on her in some way. Ashe took a deep breath, putting her hands together, her right hand fisted against the palm of her left hand that was extended straight up.

A swirling pattern appeared underneath her feet as her hands begin to glow. A wind blow straight up as the ability strengthened, and Ashe opened her eyes to show them glowing purple. She let out a yell before she fell into a kneel, slamming her hands down on the ground.

They disappeared with an almost comical pop.

"Did... Did it work?" Maya asked.

"I... don't know."

* * *

The ninja let out yells as they appeared out of the space pocket and landed hard on the ground, letting out moans of pain.

"Ow..." Slowly, they untangled themselves, standing up and looking around to see the police looking at them with wide eyes.

"Oh, Ashe..." They looked at Diana as she cradled a trembling Ashe, her skin pale and sickly looking.

"Pixal, stay with her." Zane instructed and Pixal nodded, taking her from Diana.

"Wait, I can do something really quick." Diana pressed her hand to the ground, summoning a plant and plucking the leaves from it. She produced a small portable cup.

"Nya, fill it." Nya quickly filled it as Diana crushed the leaves in her palm and dropped them in the water, then handed the cup to Kai. "Warm it up." Kai focused on the cup, warming it to where it steamed, then handed it back to Diana. She took it and held it up to Ashe, who took slow and good sips. Then she fell back in Pixal's arms, groaning.

"Uh, what did you give her?" Jay asked.

"No time to explain."

"Thank goodness you're here." They turned to see the police commissoner walking up to them.

"What's going on?" Cole asked immediately.

"Not sure. We haven't heard much in the past two minutes. I'm afraid to say it, but I think they might've been successful."

"How did it happen?" The warden appeared by the commissoner's side, his arm in a sling, and he was being supported by a medic.

"We were doing roll call when an explosion rocked the place. The next thing we knew, there were people fighting the guards and I saw a few go to the maximum security ward. They were all... Powerful, but this one..." The warden panted. "A woman. She's... She's too powerful..."

"What do you mean?"

"If you think Lord Garmadon is powerful, this woman..." He shivered. "She's insane. You can't fight her. You can't defeat her."

"What did this woman look like?" Kai asked.

"Wore a ninja gi like you guys. I didn't see her face, but she had... Lifeless eyes. Silver almost."

Dread fell into their guts like bombs.

"We need to get there and fast."

* * *

The prison cell where Garmadon had been locked up in had a gaping hole that had been blasted out.

"Oh, man... We're so hooped."

"Don't say that, Jay!"

"We are!"

Lloyd walked up to the hole, looking out as a wave of worry and fear washed over him.

 _Please tell me you're okay. Please._

* * *

Alyx fell onto her knees, trembling as she gasped for air.

"You're a stubborn little brat, you know." Alyx managed a smirk, looking up to see the glowing red eyes of Garmadon, and the ghost form of-

"Thanks, Princess. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to leave."


	13. Chapter 13

**I do not own Ninjago, it belongs to Lego and Cartoon Network.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Thirteen**_

"Pixal, is your suit still functional?"

"I just finished the repairs on it."

Pixal held up her arm as a panel flipped up on her arm, showing some switches. She tapped one, and about a minute later her mech suit was landing in front of them. Zane turned to them all.

"I have a plan. Diana, you can summon your dragon. How many can you fit on there?" Diana thought about it.

"I can hold at least four, including myself. So, five."

"Kai, Cole, Lloyd and Jay, go with Diana. Pixal will be piloting, so she can carry me, Nya and Ashe. We know their location, so we know where they're going. Come on, we don't have much time."

"Have I ever said how much I love having a nindroid on our team?" Jay asked. Diana laughed as she hopped out the hole, and a few seconds later, her teal and purple dragon was waiting for them. Pixal climbed into her suit, then scooped Ashe up carefully with her claw. Nya climbed up and held onto the back while Zane hopped into the other claw.

"Come on, let's go save our friends."

* * *

Kai looked out the spyglass, watching as guards milled around the entrance of the Wailing Alps. The guards on the ground held swords and spears, while guards in towers near the entrance held bows with very sharp looking arrows. As far as he could tell, they weren't getting in there through the front door.

"How are you feeling?" He lowered the glass to see Diana helping Ashe lean against the stone wall. She looked tired, but she managed a small smile.

"Weak, but okay." She held up her hand, a light purple glow appearing. "My powers are weak, too, but I still have them."

"Good. The tea worked then." Diana said. Ashe smiled.

"It always works. What's the situation?"

"Uh... We have reason to believe that Alyx might be mind controlled or something." Cole replied. "From the description the warden gave us, it looks like the Oni are using Alyx to help their cause."

"Oh, that's great." Ashe mumbled. "Poor Alyx..."

"What's..." Nya hesitated. "What's she like?" The two looked surprised at the question before they looked at the two.

"Alyx is loyal, brave and strong. Her entire life was difficult, even when she was in the womb." Diana sighed. "She came into the world not knowing anything. She was locked underneath the city and then had thrown into the surface world without any knowledge of anything. She had to make herself into somebody."

Kai took her words into consideration, then looked back out the spyglass.

Finding out he had another little sister was shocking, confusing and weirdly assuring. He loved Nya to the point he'd give his life for her, but finding out he had another sister was even more... Eye-opening? He didn't know what to call it. He was angry that they hid such a big secret from him. They should've told him from the moment they got some peace, but he now realized why they didn't. They didn't even know she was alive until they showed up at the Monastery, but if they had told them in the first place, he and Nya probably could've found her.

Instead, Lloyd found her.

Kai eyed him out of the corner of his eye, watching him fiddle with his gloves and belt nervously as he stared up at the rising moon. He probably was thinking of Garmadon. His green eyes were pale, filled with concern and worry. Kai sheathed the spyglass, and walked up to him.

"Lloyd." The blond jumped, then looked at him.

"Oh, hey, Kai." He tried to be casual, but his voice was quiet. Kai knew it well.

"You okay?" He asked, his voice low enough so the others wouldn't hear.

"I'm fine." Kai raised his eyebrow. "I am, really."

"I know it's going to be tough seeing your father again, but don't worry." Kai put his hand on his shoulder. "We're with you." Lloyd gave him a shaky smile before they looked back at Zane and Pixal, who were trying to find a point of entrance.

"It's impossible to find a place to enter. My Falcon doesn't detect any other entrances or exits either." Zane put down the rock he was drawing with. "Unless we go in through the front gates, there is no other way we can save Alyx and Camille."

"Ugh, this is great." Jay mumbled, taking the spyglass from Kai and looking out the hole again. "Can you do another thermal scan now that we're closer? See if you can detect Camille and Alyx's signatures?" Zane walked up to the edge, blinking before scanning the place.

"I detect a high amount of power, most likely from the Oni themselves. I also sense Garmadon's signature." He frowned. "That's weird..."

"What?"

"I sense the Masters of Smoke, Poison, Shadow and Mind, with two others I don't recognize..." He perked up. "I do however sense Camille's."

"Oh, thank goodness." Diana breathed out. "What about Alyx?" He shook his head.

"I don't detect hers. But it does look like Camille and the other masters have gotten out and are on the loose."

"If they can get out, maybe we have a chance of attacking the place."

"Which is zero."

They all turned around to see a man standing on top of the rock formation where they had taken cover. He held a sword in his hands, a smirk on his face. His skin was pale, his hair black and his eyes dark with hatred and victory. He wore dark clothes, like an assassin's clothing. He looked ready to hang their heads on his wall.

"Take them."

* * *

"Ow!" Jay yelped as he was roughly pushed into the cell. The men snickered as they shut the door, crossing their arms.

"Where did you take Lloyd?!" Kai demanded. "Tell me or I'll burn you to a crisp!"

"Ooh, I'm so scared." The one on the left said. "Please. I can't wait to see him torn to shreds." The two laughed as they walked away. Kai growled, gripping the bars so tightly his hands hurt.

"We have to find a way to escape this place." Cole mumbled. "Or else we'll be torn to shreds too."

"What do you think this curtain is for?" Pixal asked, reaching out to try and move it, but it was too far away.

"I have a feeling it's for something... Uh... Performance wise?" Ashe offered. "Oh, this is not good." Kai tried the bars again.

"Cole, can you use your lava hands?"

"No. This entire area is made of Venge Stone." They groaned.

"Great. Lloyd's been taken, our sister has been taken and might be being mind controlled, Camille is who knows where, and now we can't escape." Nya sighed. "What's next?"

There was a silent moment before they heard:

"Psst." They looked around for the voice. "Over here." They followed the direction of the voice to see Camille crouching besides a crate.

"You're okay!" Ashe whispered loudly. Camille looked both ways before walking over to them.

"I am. I have some help, too."

"My sensors tell me the other masters are with you." Zane replied. Camille nodded.

"They are. They're on the lookout right now." She looked around. "Where's Lloyd?"

"He was taken somewhere else. Quick, you need to get us out of here." She looked hesitant. Ashe frowned at her. "What?"

"We have a plan."

"Okay, change it up so we can fit in it."

"I... Can't." Diana frowned.

"Okay. I trust you." Camille nodded, taking her hand through the bars.

"I got this, I promise." They nodded, and she quickly ran off into thhe shadows.

"Let's hope she's right..."

"Camille was first to be found. She's been with Alyx the longest." Diana sighed, staring off in the direction Camille disappeared in. "We need to trust her." They nodded slowly.

"Alright..."

* * *

They waited in the cell for more than thirty minutes before they heard loud chatter. They looked up at the sound, realizing it was coming from the side with the curtains.

"Sounds like an audience." Cole said.

 _"Welcome to the Blood Bath!"_ Deafening cheers rang up, making them stand and walk to the side.

"I don't like the sound of that..." Jay whimpered. "Blood Bath? We get ourselves into pit battles way too much."

"Tell me about it."

 _"Today, we celebrate! For we have captured the ninja!"_ The curtain drew back, making them flinch at the sudden bright light, before they were able to take in the scene in front of them. A large circular pit, seats surrounding above, filled with the Sons of Garmadon biker gang, and with who they guessed was the Oni, but they had taken on the form of a human. The cheers grew louder at the sight of them.

"And we also celebrate the release of our emperor! Emperor Garmadon has returned!"

They looked up as Garmadon walked out of a tunnel on a platform that overlooked the pit, all four hands behind his back. He wore the same helmet from a month ago, but now wore a purple robe that draped over his shoulders and down to his hips. His glowing eyes were still as unnerving as always, and as soon as he reached the edge of the platform, he held out his arms, and the audience bowed low.

"Let's hope Camille launches her plan sooner than later..." Kai whispered.

"My faithful followers." They flinched as Garmadon's voice boomed. "I've had much time to think while locked up. And believe me when I say I was quite surprised when I was told that the Oni were on our side."

"He sounds... Different." Nya whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"Harumi brought back the destroyer side of Garmadon. Honestly, he sounded like a mindless robot when he was ruling." Nya frowned. "What if he got his memories back?"

"What? Of everything that's ever happened? Like how Sensei Wu did in the First Realm?" Cole asked. Nya shrugged.

"Maybe."

"I would like to celebrate this victory with a match." A grin came to his face. "The Green Ninja versus..."

To their left, Lloyd was shoved out by a member. He scowled at the member before turning to face the audience as it roared. Lloyd spotted them, his eyes widening.

"The Twin Master of Fire and Water!"

And to their right, Alyx stepped out.


	14. Chapter 14

**I just realized that there are two Ash/e's in this chapter.**

 **I do not own Ninjago, it belongs to Lego and Cartoon Network.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Fourteen**_

Lloyd laughed nervously from his end, taking a step back at the glare he got.

"Hey, Alyx." He managed. "What's going on? Are you not feeling yourself? Because if not, we could just head out now, grab a nice cup of tea and you look like you need some sleep. Like, really bad."

The ninja took a closer look at her. Bags were under her eyes, her skin had paled a couple of shades, and a few streaks of white ran through her hair. He was right, she looked like she really needed some sleep. Her eyes were narrowed and cold toward him, nothing like what Ashe and Diana had seen earlier.

"What's he doing?" Kai asked.

"Um... An attempt at humor?" Jay offered weakly. They looked at him with raised eyebrows as he raised his hands defensively.

Her eyes narrowed before a grin spread onto Alyx's face, giving an unsettling feeling in their stomachs.

"Oh, dear Lloyd."

Their hearts stopped beating. Her voice was different. A higher pitch to it, the rasp gone. And very, very familiar.

"You don't recognize me?"

Lloyd took a step back, his eyes wide.

"Har... Harumi...?" She laughed, the audience joining in. "You're alive...?"

"Surprised? I was too, honestly." Harumi looked at her hand, flexing it. "I have to admit, I was quite shocked when I found out I was a ghost. It's weird. You're alive, but not alive." Lloyd balled his hands into fists, anger flaring in his eyes. They'd never seen him so angry before. His eyes flickered from green to red, but then he blinked and they were back to green.

"Get out of her body." Harumi simply rolled her eyes, as if his anger didn't bother her. Which it really should bother her.

"Let the match begin!"

Flames appeared on Harumi's hands, a maniacal grin appearing on her face.

"I quite admire this body. I think I'll keep it." And shot a fire blast at him. Lloyd quickly dodged, turning a side flip and having to continue as she shot blast after blast.

"You can't run forever, Lloyd!" A blast landed on his right calf, making him cry out and stop, before he threw himself to the side, slowly managing to stand. He shifted his weight onto his left leg, looking down at the burnt fabric and the horrible sight of burnt flesh. He almost threw up at the sight.

Harumi actually giggled.

"Aww, did the baby get a booboo?" The audience roared with laughter. Lloyd scowled at them all before his hands lit up in green light, his eyes brightening at the awakening of his powers. He formed a good size energy ball and shot it at her, but she simply sidestepped it. He looked stunned but he continued forming small balls of energy, repeating what she had just been doing. Trying to keep his weight off his burnt leg was difficult enough.

Harumi had the audacity to laugh as she dodged his energy balls. He grew tired, pausing to take a breather, then stiffened as she disappeared, keeping one hand lit up as he searched for her.

"You should be more careful of who you choose as your friends." Lloyd barely had time to react before he was sent into a wall, the ninja crying out. Lloyd scrambled up, although the searing pain in his leg screamed at him to just fall and curl into a ball.

"Possessing this body is the greatest decision I've ever made!"

Blocking her punches were difficult. The hand strength he'd experienced before was now not only impressive but terrifying. He knew for a fact that his arms would be bruised after this. His whole body would be bruised, actually.

Lloyd was so focused on trying to protect his face, he didn't see her left fist aiming for his side.

He blew away like a bag in the wind and he slammed into another wall. This time it took a bit more time to get up. He gasped for air, a flare of pain sparking every time he took a breath. Oh, yeah, a definite rib crack alright. Lloyd didn't notice her walking up to him. Harumi grabbed the back of his gi and lifted him like he weighed nothing.

"Do you really think you have all the power?" She hissed. "This girl is unusually strong." She threw him across the pit again, but this time Lloyd was able to stop himself and turn the throw into a flip and land, even though a shock of pain ran through his body at the feeling.

"Controlling two elements, fire and water, as well as dark magic is incredible!" Harumi laughed. "And she isn't even resisting me! This is great!" Lloyd froze. She wasn't resisting Harumi? Why?

Lloyd fisted his hands on the ground, his face in a deep scowl, his eyes slowly turning red.

"You're... You're insane!"

Harumi just grinned as she walked toward him.

"Before the building fell, I actually helped a family escape. I don't know, maybe it was the fact that it reminded me of the time that my parents were killed." She growled. "But then I came back, and I realized that my death was your fault." She was in front of him in a flash, grabbing him by the wrist, lifting him with great strength, and squeezed.

A horrible crack sound emitted.

Lloyd let out a shriek.

Harumi threw him across the pit once again. He slammed into a wall again, and this time he didn't get up. He gasped for breath. His leg was stinging and throbbing from the burn, leaving his leg practically immobile. Lloyd knew for a fact that he cracked a couple of more ribs with the recent contact with the wall, and he was now clutching his wrist. He couldn't bend his hand at all. His gi was ripped in various places, replaced by gashes and slice marks.

"It was your plan that made Emperor Garmadon and the Master of Amber battle for control of the Colossus. It was your fault he went on a rampage, and it was your fault I died!"

Harumi picked him up by his throat. Lloyd struggled weakly, trying to kick with his good leg and claw at her wrist, even though it sent awful pains up his arm at his futile attempts. The admiration of her hand strength was now replaced by fear. He knew she could crush his windpipe with a simple squeeze. It would be so easy to kill him right then and there.

A tear slipped from his eye as breathing became short.

"Al... yx..."

Black spots begin to appear in his eyes as she tightened her grip, her nails digging into his throat.

"That's enough, Harumi." Her hand released his throat, and he fell onto the ground, motionless. He took short and pained gasps that sounded hoarse. And faintly, he heard his friends calling out to him.

"Lloyd! Can you hear us!?"

"Talk to us!"

"Get up!"

 _Get up._

What a silly idea.

"You're no match for me, Green Ninja." Harumi hissed. "You should have never been born in the first place."

Despite his physical injuries, the sentence made his heart throb. He gasped for air in pain, and his vision became distorted with tears.

 _You should have never been born in the first place._

"Get away from him!" A figure slammmed into Harumi, sending her tumbling into a wall. A strong and familiar wind enveloped him, cooling the cuts and gashes, but it kind of stung his burn. He realized he was inside of a tornado that was probably protecting him. It faded shortly and Lloyd struggled to remain awake to see his protector. The voice also sounded familiar, but it sounded distant, as if it was too far away.

Lloyd let out a gasp as someone picked him up slowly, his vision swimming from the feeling of being lifted.

"It's okay, I got you." The voice was quiet and gentle and relaxing, sounding similar to Cole's voice, but a bit higher and more feminine. Unfamiliar, but comforting.

Jade green eyes bearing down on him, Lloyd felt his consciousness give and everything went black.

* * *

The plan was working perfectly.

Morro was now fighting Harumi.

Ash and Shade released the ninja and gave back their weapons, and now they were engaged in an extreme battle against the Oni and SOG.

Tox and Neuro were fighting Harumi alongside Morro. Estelle had picked up Lloyd and she saw Diana join her. Good, if Diana went with her there was a chance they would immediately try to leave to take him to the hospital. He needed professional medical attention after his beating.

It was time for her to join the fight.

Morro and the other masters were doing great against Harumi. She didn't know their powers. She didn't know how they fought. And she especially didn't know how Morro fought.

Camille landed behind Harumi as she was being backed into a wall.

"Hey." She turned around at her voice, her eyes widening at the sight of her. "Get out of my friend's body!" And smacked her across the pit with the butt of her spear.

They formed a semi-circle around her as she slowly stood up, laughing.

"You think you can stop me? This girl's body is insane. So much power. So much endurance."

"The resistance never quits." Tox hissed. Harumi looked at her confused.

"What-"

"The resistance never quits." Neuro repeated.

"The resistance never quits." Ashe joined. Camille looked on her sides to see the ninja and the others now joined with her.

"The resistance never quits." They chorused, and Harumi looked overwhelmed. They continued to chant, slowly closing the distance between them.

"Stop saying that! Stop it!"

"The resistance never quits!"

Harumi froze, stiffening and straightening up, her eyes going wide. A bright purple glow emitted from her body. Harumi grabbed at her head, crying out as her body seemed to shake.

"Um, what the hell is going on?" Morro asked, his voice quiet and very disgusted.

Harumi let out a shriek, before her ghost form detached from Alyx's body. Alyx fell onto her hands and knees, coughing and trembling. Harumi looked at her hands, her eyes wide.

"What?! How did you-!?" Alyx grinned up at her.

"I think you should duck." She rasped out, and Harumi looked up to see that Nya had formed a very large ball of water. She yelped, and vanished in a poof of smoke before Nya could throw the ball.

Alyx let out a groan and collapsed, her energy depleted. Kai immediately scooped her up, and they immediately formed a protective circle around the two as Oni and SOG begin to surround them.

"We're getting out of here." Camille announced. Her hands lit up with silver, Ashe following suit. Pixal tapped a button in her arm, and a few moves later, their dragons were formed.

"Thanks for the hospitality!" Ashe called out as they flew into the air. The Oni and SOG yelled and screamed after them. Out of the corner of Kai's eye, he saw Garmadon glaring at them from the entrance of the tunnel.

Kai gripped Alyx tighter, and swore to exact revenge for both of them.


	15. Chapter 15

**I do not own Ninjago, it belongs to Lego and Cartoon Network.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Fifteen**_

The moment they landed, they were split into groups to be examined and checked over to make sure they were okay. They had no time to talk to Morro or the other masters, and so far they hadn't seen Diana or the mysterious woman that took off with Lloyd.

Cole tapped his foot impatiently as the nurse snipped the bandage on his arm where it was sliced by an SOG member's knife, looking around the room. He wonders how the others were doing, and he wonders how Alyx was doing after being possessed. After they got Lloyd back from being possessed by Morro, it took him a whole day and night to fully recover. He slept for nearly twelve hours straight, then woke up and ate for five people. Then he fell back asleep for another three hours, and ate a bit more. Finally, they hatched the plan to take the ghost down.

Speaking of ghosts, Cole begins to wonder how the hell Morro was alive right now. In a human body at that. Plus, why would Harumi take the elemental masters? Why would she take Alyx's body when she could just take a follower's body? Cole was sure they would be more than glad to offer their body to the insane woman, and Cole burned when he thought of her using Alyx to laugh and torment Lloyd.

Cole respects women. Like, a lot. He knows that they can look out for themselves. Nya is one example. Skylor is another. And even his mother was an example. He had promised his mom at a young age to always love and respect women as long as he lived, and to never lay a finger on one.

But Harumi is a different story.

And his fight with Ultra Violet, but that was a weird time with Baby Wu and she's insane, too.

When Cole gets his hands on Harumi, she'll be begging for mercy and-

"Whoa, what did that cabinet ever do to you?" Cole snaps his attention to the door to see Camille in the doorway, her eyebrows raised, a smile on her face.

"Uh, what?"

'You were glaring at that cabinet pretty hard." The nurse comments, patting the bandage down before handing him a hospital shirt.

"Your wounds were minor. Apply this to them every morning, afternoon and night after your shower and wrap them in clean bandages. I assume you have those?" Cole nods. "Good. I'll see if I can get an update on your friends, okay?"

"Thank you." The nurse smiles at him and stood up, leaving. Camille gave her a smile as she walked in, wearing the same hospital issued clothes and slippers, then perked up as she took him in. He pulled the shirt on slowly, wincing with his arm, before settling on the bed comfortably.

"At least we're alive." She comments. Cole manages a chuckle, nodding.

"What a weird week."

"I know right?" Camille plops down next to him, laying her head against his shoulder like they had known each other longer for a week. She's half his size, her head barely coming up to his pecs, and she has to tilt her head all the way back to look up at him.

It's kind of cute, to be honest.

But Cole made a mental note to never joke or talk about height with anyone, especially Lloyd, who was still the shortest of the team, despite getting a growth spurt after the whole Tomorrow's Tea incident.

"Any word on Alyx or Lloyd?" Camille simply shakes her head.

"I haven't seen Diana at all, either. And apparently this place is super tight lipped about their patients." Camille gives out a huff of annoyance. "I hate tight lipped people."

"Hm." Cole frowns. "Camille?"

"Yes?"

"How come Alyx didn't try to find Kai and Nya when she escaped?" A very deep sigh leaves Camille and she removes her head from his shoulder, leaving him slightly disappointed.

"She did, actually. Apparently, Ray and Maya had made two maps. One to Four Weapons and another to the Monastery. She searched for both." Camille sighs again. "But when she got to the shop, she saw them, and she just... She didn't want to ruin their happiness, so she went to find Wu. But when she got there... Well..." She gives him a once-over, and he catches the look, his shoulders falling.

"We were being trained, weren't we?" Camille nods slowly. "Oh, for the love of the First Spinjitzu Master... Poor Alyx. She lived on the streets, didn't she?"

"For about five months."

Lloyd flashes in his mind. His tattered jeans, his black hoodie that was dirtied with blood, dirt and other things, and his shoes that had looked like that were about to disingrate in an instant. After Lloyd had been revealed as the Green Ninja, the four of them had actually burned the clothing without his knowing. It was a horrible reminder of his life on the streets before he released the Serpentine.

Huh. Maybe Alyx and Lloyd have some things in common.

"How did she manage to live after that?"

"Now that is a story for her to tell." Camille replies. "I don't want to tell it myself, because it would be wrong and feel weird." Cole shakes his head, managing a laugh through his throat.

"Okay, let's talk about you then. Where'd you grow up?"

"Um... Chama Village. We mine metal." Cole freezes, a slow grin crawling onto his face before he turns to her. "Shut up! I know! It's completely-"

"Ironic?" A hard punch lands on his shoulder, not on his wound, but it still sends a shock through his arm. He winces, before he lets out a laugh at her furious face at his pun.

"Sorry, the week with Jay in the First Realm was awful. So many awful puns." Camille snorts. "Anyway, what was your family like?"

"My mom worked as a medic while my dad worked in the mines. But he had to stop after he got an injury to his hip, so now he walks with a limp and a cane. He looks so old." She giggles. A sweet sound to Cole's ears. A smile came to his lips as he looked at her. Silvery hair with black roots showing, gray eyes that glimmered, beautiful tan skin, and beautiful hands that would looks so good clasped in his own large hands and-

Shit.

"Any siblings?" He manages out.

"An older brother." She shrugs, swinging her legs. "We're totally different, so we don't talk much."

"Oh. What's he like?"

"Uh, a total... I don't know. He likes dancing, singing and acting. The high life. Ever since he was a kid he hated the mines. Dad's injury just made the hatred worse. So once he was sixteen, he signed up for the Marty Oppenheimer, and by the time he turned seventeen, he'd been accepted and he was out of the door without a glance back." She shrugs. "Haven't heard from him since." Cole's lips turn into a frown.

"Not even after the whole Overlord ordeals, nindroids and all that? Not even after the whole Harumi and Garmadon messed?"

Camille just shrugged.

"I guess not. I talk to my parents, and they relay to me what's happening with him, but I haven't exactly spoken to him face to face. But, whatever." She waves her hand dismissively. "We never were close."

"Like Diana and her sister?"

"Yeah, like them." Cole's thoughts drifted to Kai and Nya. After they lost their parents, they were the only beams they had to support on. They've always been close, even when they fought. Even if they fought over the last mini snickers bar, they still loved and admired each other. Both of them had grown so much since they came together as team, and they're still growing as they speak.

And now they have a new little sister to take care of and look after, even if she can handle herself.

"What about you, Mr. Prodigy?" Cole chuckles, shaking his head as she nudges him with her elbow.

"Well, I guess it was okay. I didn't have any siblings to fight with, but I did have my father to bicker with. Plus, I like to admit it." He proudly puffs his chest out. "I was a mama's boy." Camille snorts, before doubling over, clutching her stomach as she laughs.

"You, a mama's boy?" She snorted, giving him a look over before grinning. "Okay, yeah, I can definitely see it now." Cole simply crosses his arms.

"I like being a mama's boy." Camille grins.

"Okay. What was she like? Did she dance with your dad, too?" His facade fades a bit.

"Well... She was a singer and dancer, but she sung more than she danced. Apparently, before I was born they used to enter into these couple dancing competitions and they always won." Camille's smile is genuine and soft as she listens to him ramble.

"What'd she look like...?"

"She was beautiful. I guess I took after her. I mean, yeah, both my parents have black hair, but I guess I got the green eyes and dark skin from her."

The smile fades, making him look at her worriedly.

"What?"

"What was her name?"

"Estelle."

Her stare is unassuring, and before she can say anything, the door opens and the others filter in.

"Oops, didn't mean to interrupt." Ashe says, casting Camille a grin that Cole knew well when Lloyd and Harumi were-

Nope, nope. Destroy those thoughts.

Camille simply retorts with a gesture that makes Zane and Pixal gasp. Cole and Jay gape at her while Diana gasps, bolts over and slaps Camille on the back of the head.

"You cannot do that with the ninja around, you dummy!"

"Ow!" Cole grins as they silently argue before turning to the others."

"Where's Kai and Nya?"

"Waiting on an update on Alyx. They haven't left her side since then."

"Has Sensei shown up?"

"No, not yet." Diana replies. "I did talk to them and tell them the situation. They're trying to get down here now."

"Well... I guess we wait."

* * *

Sensei Wu, Ray, Maya and Misako showed up about thirty minutes later. They explained the situation, telling them about Morro and the other elemental masters, telling them that Harumi's alive and that Garmadon has been released from prison. They told them about Lloyd and Harumi's battle, how Harumi _used_ Alyx's body to hurt him. They had to digest the information, Ray and Maya fretted over Kai and Nya, then they went to a different room to talk. They came back and they sat in silence, sometimes piping up to comment about the weather, but other than that, their minds were currently working.

Finally, after four hours, a doctor came into the room, an orange file in his hand. They all begin to sit up, but he held up his hand.

"Your friends are doing just fine." A breath releases from their lips in synchronized relief. "The other masters suffered from lack of nutrition, so they are on fluids and are eating as we speak. Um..." He glances at Wu. "Morro was incredibly thin and malnourished, so we would like to keep him here before we release him to you." Wu nods, but his eyes are distant.

"And my son?" Misako asks, her voice tiny and quiet, filled with worry and concern.

"Your son suffered much damage. His burn was infected, but our plastic surgeon was able to peel off the dead and burnt skin to make way for new and healthy skin to grow. It's also being treated with a burn salve." He walks over to an X-Ray viewer, pulling out a scan and pinning it up, turning the light to show a scan of his chest. "He sustained three rib fractures. Here," he points to his third rib on his right side, "and here." And points to the second rib above the third rib.

Misako covers her face, her hands trembling.

"His third fracture is here, not as devastating." He points to a smaller fracture on his first rib on his left side. "We've stabilized his chest and he should breathe okay but we're monitoring his O2 levels closely. As for his wrist, well..." He puts up another scan, showing two fractures on both sides of his wrist. They were quite large. "We had to place two pins in order to stabilize the bone, and we hope it heals good. Good thing he's right handed."

The doctor let the news sink in, before Ray broke the silence with a shaky breath.

"What about Alyx?" He asks quietly.

"Her energy is depleted. She's very weak, can barely lift a finger. We'll monitor her, but it doesn't seem that she's taken any physical trauma. Just... Mental trauma. You should be able to see everyone, except Lloyd, in a bit. For now, rest up." With that, he leaves.

"So... How about Morro being alive?"

"Oh, god, Jay."


	16. Chapter 16

**I do not own Ninjago, it belongs to Lego and Cartoon Network.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Sixteen**_

The hospital was too open. With the Oni and Garmadon wanting Lloyd, he was too open and too unprotected. The elemental masters offered to stay with them for extra protection, but they had little room. Instead, Ray and Maya collaborated with Pixal and Nya and created communication devices to give out to the masters. They would need to get them to Skylor and Karloff and warn all of the others who were still on their side after Garmadon's reign.

That left Morro.

He had nowhere to go. No family, no home, and he certainly wasn't exactly left to go back to the Departed Realm. The ninja were still pissed at him, of course, and he knew this. He'd possessed their friend, tried to kill all of them, and tried to curse all of Ninjago, so yeah, there's still a little bit of hurt feelings still harboring.

But at the same time... Morro had defended and protected Lloyd when Harumi was about to kill him, fought against her and alongside them, and had also tried to help Alyx when she was possessed.

Why did things have to be so complicated?

* * *

 _"I should have been the Green Ninja! Not you!"_

 _"I have no son."_

 _"You should have never been born in the first place."_

 _"You. Are. Nothing."_

The nurse laid the cloth on his forehead as he murmured and fidgeted underneath the covers. His cheeks were flushed from fever, and he panted just a little bit out of his mouth. Misako could only watch her son suffer, her face filled with pain and worry. She could really use some magic tea right now.

"How is he?" She asks quietly, watching the nurse wring out a different cloth and then pat his face to rid of the sweat build up and to try and combat the fever. The nurse sighed.

"His fever is high. 104.6, and if it doesn't break by midnight, we'll have to keep him here a bit longer. If it gets any higher, the risks increase drastically." The cool damp cloth seemed to relax him, some tension leaking out of his muscles and face, but he still let out a whimper and turned his head away, the cloth on his forehead slightly sliding off.

He was a very poor sight to see. He had sustained a head injury from the throws into the walls, so his hair had been matted with blood. They washed his entire body down, from head to toe so they had a good view to work without all of the blood in the way, so his head was wrapped around the gash on the back of his head. His hair sprawled out on the pillow so cutely. Misako really needed to get him a bunch of hair ties if he decided to leave it so long. His face was bruised from the fight, small adhesive bandages on the small cuts on his eyebrows, cheekbones and chin. Bandages wrapped around his neck with healing salve for the bruises and small cuts from Alyx's nails when Harumi choked him. More wrapped around his arms, starting from his elbows and ending at almost the tips of his fingers. His left wrist was in cast, laying on a pillow to rest. His right leg was out from under the covers, also propped on a pillow, the burn treated with sweet smelling salve and wrapped carefully but tight enough so the salve could do its work. Underneath his gown his chest had been stabilized by thick and strong wrap to secure his fractures so they didn't break anymore, but he could still breathe good, even though he was clearly in pain. The rest of his cuts and bruises were treated with medicated ointment and covered in bandaids. His face sometimes contorted, like he was dreaming of something painful, or was in pain from his injuries.

Misako's heart hurt.

"He might not be able to leave?"

"With this kind of temperature, we're not sure if it's from infection or the trauma. We're not sure, but we hope the fever breaks."

"And if it gets worse...?"

The nurse's look told her everything.

* * *

Morro peeked around the doorframe before stepping out into the hallway, feeling quite sure of himself. All he wanted was a peek at Lloyd. He wasn't even going to step in. He just wanted to see what Harumi did to him. He knew Wu and Misako would be with him, so he was just going to sneak one peek and go straight back to his room.

"And where do you think you're going?" He froze, turning around to see the Time ninja staring at him. What was her name again? Ashe? He gulped. Oh, this is bad. Her arms hung at her sides, but her fingers twitched, anticipating his next actions. Her eyebrow was raised, her changing eyes narrowed.

"I... Was going for a walk."

A shimmering multi-colored bow appeared in her right hand.

She didn't believe him. He gulped again, trying to hold their gaze and not look around. FSM, why did he feel so nervous?

"What are you really doing?" She hisses, and he kind of retreated into himself.

"I was going for a walk! I promise!"

A similar colored arrow appeared in her left hand.

"Okay, okay! I..." He sighed in defeat, looking down at his feet. "I was going to see Lloyd." Her silence answered him, and he quickly thought of just running back into his room before the thought was cut off by her nudging his arm. He looked up to see her staring at him, slightly startled that they were almost the same height.

"Come on." She whispers, and started to walk down the hallway to his room. He looked around, and then quickly jogged to catch up to her. It took a moment but they eventually reach his room, the door open, a dim light filtering out of it. She stops him several feet away, then peeks around the doorframe. She motions him over and he quickly goes to the other side. With a breath, he looks around the door and his stomach does a flip, and not the good kind.

He looked so... Pitiful. Wow, that's an emotion that Morro never that he'd feel toward Lloyd. But recently, he'd been feeling a lot of different emotions. He just didn't know how to describe them, and he certainly didn't know who to talk to about them.

Ashe leans her head against the doorframe, looking at the boy in the bed. He was so small for his size, and without his ninja garb, still looked like a little kid. He was thin, but in a good way. It still looked like he had quite a bit of good muscle on him, but he was lean and thin for his size, which was good considering he wasn't very tall. That's the part Morro hated, especially when he had possessed him. Morro is 5'10, and he literally shrank four inches when he possessed Lloyd.

Ugh. It made him shiver when he thought about how wrong he was during that time.

"I saw his memories." Ashe looked up at him, but he didn't tear his gaze away from Lloyd.

"Yeah?"

"I saw everything. Even the memories he doesn't quite remember I saw. The abandonment by his mom, the fear that his father would reject him, all of the hatred directed toward him..." Morro sighed. "I ignored all of that. I just..."

"Your hatred and jealousy overcame you, didn't it?"

"Yeah, it did. I always thought the green gi had just been handed it to him, but it was destiny. I thought he was a spoiled brat, but really... He was a brat, but not spoiled. Not evil, not entitled... He was just... A kid." Morro finally looked up at Ashe to see her eyes soft and gentle, nothing like the hardness earlier.

"I don't know the entire story." Ashe says, her voice kind and sweet. "But I know he's redeemed himself." She pushed herself off from the doorframe, walking up to him. He slightly flinched when she gets close to him, so she retreats a little bit and instead lays her hand on his arm. Her hand is warm and rough from work, but still comforting and gentle.

"You can redeem yourself, too."

"How?" Morro sighs. "I've hurt the ninja so many times, I'm surprised I'm still alive. I figured Kai would've burned me to a crisp by now." Ashe simply giggled in reply, shaking her head.

"How about we start now?"

"Start...?"

"Start the process in redeeming yourself. I heard from Sensei that you helped on Day of the Departed, but you still have a long ways to go." She glances into the room. "So... You can start by apologizing. I'll be lookout."

"But he's unconscious. He can't hear me."

"Oh, he can hear you." She wraps her hand around his wrist to tug him forward, and once he complies, shoves him inside, making him stumble a bit. He catches himself, looking at her with a glare. Ashe just gives a grin, a thumbs up, and shuts the door quietly, leaving it open about three inches. Morro kind of whimpered, which sounded pathetic and weak, but he looks at the door, then back at Lloyd, who hasn't budged. His chest rises unsteadily, strained breathing coming out from his lips. He's currently hooked up to oxygen, probably to help regulate his breathing after his ribs fractured. His eyes are squeezed shut, his good hand gripping the covers over his thigh tightly like a lifeline. Morro gulps, and steps forward to stand next to his bed.

The light brings out the small freckles on his face. His eyebrows are a bit different, and his facial features aren't quite as childish as they were back then. He'd matured. His hair is sprawled on the pillow, and Morro resisted reaching and touching it. It looks so _soft._

Morro takes a breath, looking at his hands. "I... know you probably can't hear me, but I'm going to try anyway... Um... Look, I'm... Such a huge jerk. And asshole. Pretty sure I heard Kai say that earlier, but I can't remember. Um, anyway... I know you're not going to forgive me right away. I wouldn't either. But... I've done a lot of thinking - still am, actually, and I want to try and make it up to you and your friends. I've done enough harm, and I... I want to try to turn my life around. I just don't know where to start..." He sighed heavily, and he felt tears well up in his eyes. That's new. "I'm so, so, so sorry, Lloyd... I've put you through so much, and I know you've gone through a lot since then, and I just feel so bad. It's not fair how destiny is treating you. None of this is fair. I just... I'm so sorry." Without thinking, he took Lloyd's good hand, tears falling onto the back of his own hand. He squeezed his eyes shut, his voice small and weak.

"I'm sorry."

A small, barely even noticeable squeeze pulls him back, and he opened his eyes to see Lloyd's hand had relaxed, allowing Morro to slip his hand into his. His face had relaxed, and his body had been tense from pain, was now settled comfortably in the bed. Morro gives a tiny test squeeze, and a small smile appears on his lips as Lloyd gives a slight squeeze back. A tiny smile comes to Lloyd's chapped lips, and-

 _Oh no._

* * *

Morro slept good for once. The next morning, he woke up to gentle sunlight and the sound of a nurse moving around in his room. He slowly opened his eyes to see Wu sitting in a chair facing out the windows, sipping a morning cup of tea. His demeanor was calm and comforting, no hostility to it at all.

Slowly sitting up, Morro looked around, looking to see neatly folded clothes on the tray for eating, some new black sneakers on top. It looked like the clothes were some jeans, a t-shirt and a dark green sweater.

He blinked. Are those for him?

"Did you sleep well?" He jumped, looking over at Wu as he stood up, putting one hand behind his back as he turned around.

"I... Guess I slept better than I did than in the past few months." He replies. Wu smiled at him, warmth and comfort in it. It'd been so long since he'd seen that smile.

"Good." He pauses. "Lloyd's fever broke at about three this morning. It's been getting lower, and now it's at a comfortable temperature. Ronin will be arriving soon to help us transport him, so get ready."

"Wait, what?"

"What?"

"I'm... going with you?"

Oh boy, that won't settle well with the ninja. If he ends up living with them, he already knows what's gonna happen. They're probably going to try and annoy him into leaving and then if that doesn't work, they're going to try and start poisoning his food and-

"I've already spoken with the others. They're fine with you staying."

And like that, he leaves, leaving Morro to gape after him.

* * *

The nurse arrives a couple of minutes after he's showered and changed into the clothes. They fit him, albeit a bit big for his skinny frame, but they're warm and smell good. And he's so happy that he can shower without worrying about disappearing.

"I was wondering if you had any information on Estelle. She's really pretty, tall, kinda buff, black hair and green eyes?" The nurse thinks for a moment before nodding.

"She's currently being held for questioning by the police, and they're now in contact with your master."

"Oh." For a moment, he was quiet before he stiffened. "Wait, why is she being held?" Estelle had always been vague about her past, but she would tell him if she was some kind of villain, too. As far as he knew, she was nothing like that.

The nurse raised her eyebrows.

"Estelle Hence has been dead for nearly four years."


	17. Chapter 17

**I do not own Ninjago, it belongs to Lego and Cartoon Network.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Seventeen**_

Kai was first to grab him when he stepped outside. His grip was strong and a bit terrifying as he pulled him away from the others. Morro gulped, waiting for a burn to appear on his arm but it never came. Instead, Kai turned him so his back was against the wall, his eyes piercing and practically on fire. Morro gulped. Kai was probably the closest thing to having a brother for Lloyd. He saw how protective Kai and Nya were of him, practically adopting him as their little brother. No wonder Kai was so protective and desperate to get him released from his hold.

Morro gulped.

"Listen here." Kai hissed, his grip never loosening. "We may have agreed to let you stay with us, but don't think for a second that we haven't forgotten what you've done to us and Lloyd. And I swear to the First Spinjitzu Master, if you even think of getting ten feet within Lloyd, I have a sword and I'm not afraid to run you through with it. Same goes for the others, understand?"

Morro nodded rapidly, never once taking his eyes away from Kai's. Kai let go of his arm and rejoined Nya, who seemed mad at him for his threat. She hit the back of his head, then begin to scold him.

Morro slumped against the wall, pretty sure that he'll die of a heart attack before they could kill him by weapon.

* * *

Camille frowned as she made a mental roll call. The ones missing were Lloyd, Alyx and Misako. Misako decided to stay by Lloyd's side, making sure his fever didn't spike again and to have a good routine of changing his wound dressings. Alyx would be checked on every ten minutes, and they were supposed to make some shifts in order to make sure Alyx had a good care system.

The other one missing was Morro.

"Where's Morro, Sensei?" Wu sighed in reply, keeping his voice low as he replied.

"He does not feel like joining us. Something about a stomach ache, but I have a feeling it was a lie." Camille frowned, glancing at the space next to her that was supposed to be Alyx's. She was quiet for a moment before she pushed her plate away, standing and excusing herself.

Morro was curled up on a comfortable looking cot, a divider splitting the room between Wu's area and his cot. His long hair was kind of adorable in a way, but Camille needed to get him some hairties for training.

"And why are you being a pouty child?" He lifted his head, sending her a slight glare at her referral, and then laid back down.

"I'm not hungry."

"Not hungry, or not... Comfortable?" His reply gave her his answer, and she plopped down on the edge of his cot, making him look at her once more.

"What are you doing?"

"Sitting." She found a book of weapons, picking it up and opening it.

"Why?"

"You don't eat, I don't eat." He frowned at her.

"But..."

"You're way under weight, Morro. You need food." Camille said quietly. "I know it's difficult to be around those who you've tried to kill and who have tried to kill you, but there are some of us who are still willing to accept you. You just have to make that step." Morro was quiet before he sat up fully, giving a small nod. Camille grinned, standing and extending her hand.

"Come on."

* * *

"Look who decided to join us!" Camille announced as they arrived in the dining room. Conversation halted as Morro stepped in, and he suddenly felt like retreating back into Wu's room. Camille didn't give him that option though, and grabbed his arm and guided him toward the table, setting him next to Wu, and then sitting to his right. Zane served him a plate, giving him a comforting smile, and then a silence fell over the table.

"Where's Ray and Maya?" Cole asked suddenly, and Kai stabbed at his food.

"They're staying with Alyx. She's too weak to be left alone." He glanced at Morro. "You know, possession does that to you." Morro visibly flinched, as if he'd been burned by a hot pan.

"Kai." Wu warned, his voice irritated. Cole took the warning, then jabbed Kai's ribs with his fingers.

"Don't be rude." He hissed. Kai glared at the Earth Master, rubbing his ribs to quell the pain in his ribs, but he returned his glare to his food. Diana cleared her throat, then turned her attention to Wu.

"Sensei, if I may ask, do you have any ideas for a special healing tea? I was looking in all of my books, but I can't find anything." Wu sipped his tea thoughtfully. Nya was quiet before speaking up.

"Mystake used a tea on Lloyd after his fight with Garmadon. It healed his injuries. Is that what you're wanting to do?" Jay raised his eyebrows.

"I thought the doctor said not to use any magic tea." He wiggled his wrist. "He said it would only irritate his arm more."

"I wasn't thinking of using it on him." Diana murmured. The ninja caught the actual meaning, and grew quiet once more.

"If anyone has a chance against the Oni, it's Alyx and Lloyd." They lifted their heads to see Ray in the doorway, holding a tablet while looking concerned. "Their combined power could be the key to stopping both Garmadon and the Oni.

"Why do you say that?" Wu asked. Ray joined them, sitting by Kai and Nya, then glanced over at Morro, giving him a sight smile before resuming speaking.

"Analyzing both their energy waves, it's possible that if we trained them in a way that they could almost harmonize their powers, it'd be possible to defeat the Oni." Cole crossed his arms.

"The Oni that we fought at the Wailing Alps didn't seem so powerful, yet we were told that they are bringers of destruction. Did you ever see Mystake in her Oni form?" Cole asked. Nya and Pixal shook their heads.

"Skylor was the only one to see her in her true form. She told me that she was powerful since she's one of the few who followed the First Spinjitzu Master here." Nya replied, then looked thoughtful. "I wonder if they're half breeds. She did say that Oni are long living, but they would still need to produce offspring in order to live on."

"Lloyd's pretty much a half breed." Jay commented. "He's pretty powerful."

"The Oni that tried kidnapping Lloyd were full, I could tell. I spent enough time in the history archives to know that much. Not even we could hold against them." Ashe said. "Also, Lloyd has both Oni and Dragon blood flowing through him. The combined elements of Fire, Ice, Earth and Lightning also hold a power to him."

"So... What you're saying is if he loses control, he could go totally batshit crazy and possibly destroy the whole world?" Kai asked. Ashe shifted her eyes around, then avoided their gazes.

"That's one way of putting it, I suppose." Camille put a curled finger to her lips, looking at her food in thought.

"It's similar to the way Kai lost control when he handled the Staff of Elements." Zane offered. Ray slowly turned to Kai at the mention of the event, his eyebrow raised. Kai smiled sheepishly before returning to listen to Zane. "Like in the way Sensei told Lloyd when he was first beginning to learn how to control his powers. 'Control it, before it controls you'. Right, Sensei?" Wu smiled at Zane's rememberance of his teaching, then frowned at the heavy thought.

"That must be why the Oni were so bent on taking him." He said.

"Could it be possible that they're trying to..." Pixal drifted off, biting her lip as if the words were poison. "That they're trying to see if they can awaken the Oni inside Lloyd?"

The table fell silent. Wu let out a sigh, then looked stern and set on his plan he was about to hatch.

"If so, we must protect him at all costs. Nya, Zane, Pixal and Jay, collaborate and begin on the comm links for the elemental masters. Diana, we should begin working on that tea for Alyx. And Ray, I hope you and Maya are up for the challenge of the Project Legacy." Ray simply grinned, showing much of Kai in the feature. Wu smiled at him, then continued, turning his attention to the remaining ninja, but primarily focusing on Morro. "And the rest of you must begin to work and train together. I have seen that you all can cooperate with each other, but you also have a new liquid to mix in." He reached and laid a comforting hand on Morro's arm.

"You all must work with one another. Like I said, you cannot mix two incompatible liquids together. Work, and you will see results."

* * *

 _Lloyd landed on the ground, blasting the dummy with a strong energy blast and causing it to fall in ashes. He panted, falling to one knee and bracing himself with his fist. His bangs stuck to his forehead, and his training uniform, which was a simple tank top and shorts, clung to his body with sweat. He knew it was bad to train like so, but after the others left for missions to hold the peace, he'd needed to keep his mind off their safety and to train to help protect Ninjago City._

 _He felt ready to pass out when he felt a hand on his shoulder, looking up to see Ray's kind amber eyes, matching his son's so perfectly._

 _"If you train like that, you're gonna pass out." Lloyd let out a chuckle, allowing Ray to slide his arm around his waist and lift him up._

 _"Sorry, I guess I'm just anxious about the others. Kai and Nya aren't here, by the way."_

 _"I know." Ray replied, sitting him down. "I'm actually here to see you."_

 _"Oh?"_

 _"They asked me to check on you. They had a feeling you would be doing something like this." A tint of red flushed his cheeks, and he swallowed, looking away._

 _"Of course they did." He tried nonchalantly, but Ray wasn't fooled. The former holder of fire grabbed a towel and bottle of water, handing the bottle to him, then dabbed away the sweat on his face._

 _"Training like this will hurt your body, Lloyd." Ray said softly, but he held a scolding tone. "You need to take regular breaks." He eyed at the demolished dummy, then continued to wipe the sweat away from his skin._

 _"I guess I got too caught up." Ray made a hum of disapproval, then shook his head._

 _"Still, take a break. Maya is at the store and we've decided to make dinner for you." He nudged Lloyd's arm. "Figured it would be a good way of getting you to socialize, anyway."_

 _"I... Could go for some company." Lloyd chuckled. Ray ruffled his hair._

 _"Go take a shower. Dinner will be waiting for you when you get out." He headed toward the door before stopped. "And Lloyd?"_

 _"Yeah?"_

 _"Please don't push yourself too far. I'd hate to see you hurt." Lloyd smiled, feeling an emotion he hadn't felt since his father was banished._

 _"I'll try not to."_

* * *

Maya gently rubbed Lloyd's face with a wet cloth, then turned her attention to his burn as he murmured incoherantly in his sleep.

After they returned, Maya had made sure Alyx was comfortable, and after knowing she was okay, she went to join Misako in helping attend to Lloyd. He'd been propped on his bed, his burned leg on a pillow, his injured wrist on another pillow next to his side. He wore warm clothes to combat the low temperature, although one pant leg was rolled up at the knee to expose his burned leg which was wrapped with the salve soaked bandages, and his arm sleeve was rolled to the top of his cast. But the clothes were warm but comfortable, and he didn't look too bad now that he was home.

Misako rubbed her forehead tiredly.

"Are you alright, Misako?" Maya asked, pushing Lloyd's hair back so she could wipe his forehead. A tiny smile came to his lips and he nuzzled into her warm touch, clearly showing he knew he was safe.

"I suppose I'm just worried about Lloyd... And Garmadon." Misako's hands clenched her pants fabric, glaring at her feet. "Thinking of who... What he's become terrifies me. When Nya and I faced off with him, he was... different."

"He was brought back from the Departed Realm." Maya paused as Lloyd shifted, taking in a breath then murmuring something she couldn't make out. "Nya told me he sounded different at the Wailing Alps. Like... He'd taken time to think, and gained his previous memories back." Misako pinched the bridge of her nose.

"If that's true, he probably knows every action he's committed in the past. He must know that Harumi manipulated him, and perhaps he just might change his mind about siding with the Oni."

"I don't know..." Maya replied, unsure. "Both SOG and Oni united. I have a feeling they won't last long in hiding. They will want to find us again."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Misako looked at Lloyd sadly. "I wasn't there... Again... Not when he needed me most..." Maya laid the rag on his head, knowing that the action was the only thing that kept the fever from coming back. She sat down next to Misako and laid her hand on her forearm.

"He needs you now, Misako. He needs you more than he needed you when fighting." Maya looked down. "He's weak and tired. No doubt this will strike another blow to him, and he needs more support now than ever. Remember that." Misako smiled at her, nodding.

"I just feel... Terrible. I left him for so long..." Misako covered her face. "I left him when he needed me most as a child. No wonder he's so messed up." Maya laughed.

"Oh, Misako. He's not messed up, he's just..." Maya shook her head. "I don't know how to put it, I guess. But when he needed a family, look who came through. The ninja took him in as their own. Seeing how protective Kai and Nya are of him, I came to realize that they adopted another child, when when they didn't realize that they had a sister out in the world."

"How come she didn't find them?" Maya sighed heavily.

"I'm not sure. We weren't able to discuss that part before she ran off."

"I do have a feeling Kai and Nya will accept her now."

"I do, too. It's Morro I'm worried about now." Misako chuckled.

"He was like a son Wu never had. I knew him when Wu first took him in, and then the next thing I knew he had disappeared." Misako looked at Lloyd, her eyes softening. "I believe he regrets his actions."

"Let's see if he can show it."

"I'm sure they'll take him in once he shows he is guilt ridden. Camille, Diana and Ashe seem quite fond of him, so perhaps the others will see he is beginning to come around." Maya nodded, then turned her attention to Lloyd once more.

"We will see."


	18. Chapter 18

**The new mini movies were amazing! And I guess considering that in Green and Gold, Lloyd could still summon his Golden Dragon it was set before the Overlord's second takeover and he didn't have his green eyes so I'm guessing it has been confirmed his powers changed his eyes. So, you'll be seeing more the flashbacks of what I consider what happened to Lloyd before Sons of Garmadon came to the surface. Also, I am incorporating Season 10's new gis into this, but with my own little take on them.**

 **What did you think of the mini movies?**

 **I do not own Ninjago, it belongs to Lego and Cartoon Network.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Eighteen**_

Kai peeked into Alyx's room, seeing his parents around a small table, blueprints on the surface, as well as what looked like sketch designs for concept suits, but he couldn't be sure. His eyes flicked over at his sister. She laid comfortably in bed, a rag on her forehead. Her face was peaceful, but she had still recieved a heavy blow from Harumi's posssession. The white streaks in her hair remained, and even though she was regaining color, her tan skin had faded to a creamy coffee color. She hadn't moved a muscle since then, not even a finger twitch or so much as her lips parting. It made his heart hurt to see both his sister and his brother like this.

"You may be a ninja, son, but you are not as quiet as you think you are." Kai snapped his attention back to his father, watching him roll up the papers neatly and put them in a tube. Maya giggled, sipping her tea and looking away to hide her smile. Kai flushed and stepped in, shyly putting his hands in his pockets and then looked over at Alyx.

"How is she...?"

"Weak." Maya replied. "Although her energy levels remain, her body suffered from the possession." Kai looked down, then walked up and laid his hand on top of Alyx's hand. No response. Kai frowned, then curled his hand around hers, slowly sitting down by her hip. The regret of how he treated her before was weighing on his heart, and after multiple conversations between him and Nya, they soon realized their mistake, and wanted to make up for their behavior. But who knows how long it would take for her to wake up. Kai hoped it would be soon.

"It'll take it some time." Kai looked up at his mother as she laid her hand on his shoulder, making him lean into her touch. She lifted her hand and stroked his face, her hand warm and soft. She gave him a small smile.

"Alyx is strong. She will persevere."

* * *

 _Lloyd stopped just outside of the kitchen, adjusting his t-shirt before he decided to enter. He reached for the door, then stopped once he heard voices inside. He slipped next to the door, leaning against it and listening in._

 _"I'm worried for him." Ray said, and he could hear the sound of the knife chopping up vegetables._

 _"I know, I am, too." Maya replied, her voice soothing and gentle. "Kai and Nya asked us to look out for him, and we will. I'm sure he'll like the gift you have planned out for him, anyway." Ray chuckled._

 _"I know." There was a slight pause before Ray sighed again. "He's pushing himself way too hard. He could hardly stand."_

 _"Perhaps he needs a sparring partner." Ray laughed at the thought._

 _"An old man against the destined Green Ninja? Maya, you always were a jokester." Maya sighed and Lloyd had a feeling she was rolling her eyes at him._

 _"I'm not saying you need to use any power, I'm just saying a sword on sword fight would be a great... I don't know, reassurance to him. With the others on their own missions, he's probably lonely. And loneliness is a dangerous thing." Ray was quiet, and he heard the sound of sizzling as food met oil._

 _"I think Kai will kill me if he finds out I adopt another son."_

* * *

"For my project, everyone will need to pitch in." Ray fidgeted with the tube almost shyly, as if he wasn't used to speaking to other people. "I need multiple materials as well. If anybody would like to help, just speak up."

"Are we getting new suits?" Kai chirped, and Ray glared at him, his shoulders slumping.

"That was supposed to be a surprise!" He hissed, then looked at Wu, who sipped his tea innocently. "Why did you have to train them to be ninja?" Wu simply smiled at him.

"Anyway." Jay said impatiently. "What are we going to do?"

"You, Zane, and Pixal will be working on the comm links for all of the masters. The rest who are free are going to help with the project. So, for the first thing on the list is material for your new gis." He sent a glare at Kai. "I need someone to get it. I have calculated the budget and how much we need of the fabric, but I need someone to run and buy it." Ashe raised her hand excitedly.

"I know a place that sells great fabric!" She announced. "I have my dragon so I can go." He tossed her a rolled up piece of paper. She caught it and opened it, whistling at the long list.

"That's a lot of fabric." Ray chuckled, then tossed her a small bag of money. She caught it and slipped it in a pocket on her belt.

"You may take someone with you. It's quite a heavy load." Ashe perked up, her eyes sliding on everyone before landing on Morro, who was trying to do everything to make himself very small.

"Morro, wanna come with me?" His head snapped up from looking at his shoes, his eyes wide.

"Me?"

"I said your name, didn't I?" Morro blinked at her, then looked at Wu, who gave him an encouraging smile.

"Um... Okay." He hated how weak his voice sounded, but he nodded anyway. Ray chuckled, then turned his gaze to Camille.

"Despite its name, Deep Stone has a close relation to metal. It has enough metallic components to be sensed, so your powers would be greatly useful. If you want to make such a journey. It's long and slightly dangerous."

"What else is new?" Camille smiled at him. "I'm in."

"Deep Stone is an aquatic material, though." Nya said, frowning. "It's found underwater."

"And super heavy." The ninja shivered at the rememberance of the Deep Stone Armor gi to combat from being possessed during Morro's Possession period.

"That's why I'm going to melt it down and combine it with the gi fabric. Since some people have habits of getting possessed around here." The ninja winced at the comment, making Wu nudge Ray with a slight glare. "Sorry, sorry. Ahem, anyway. Since it's underwater, Nya wiill be joining us."

"Wait, what?" She looked stunned at being volunteered. "But I want to stay here with Alyx."

"Maya is here with her." Ray soothed. "It's a day's trip. If we leave in the next hour, we should be able to return by sundown." Nya looked reluctant, but nodded anyway. Kai, Cole and Diana were the only ones without jobs to do.

"What about us?" Cole asked, noticing Kai's sullen mood at not being assigned to anything.

"You and Kai will protect Lloyd and Alyx." Wu replied. "Diana and I are going to collaborate on some healing techniques, so you are tasked with protecting them. Maya is with Alyx, and Misako is wth Lloyd. Just don't disturb them too much, alright?" Cole and Kai nodded, content that they were given a job anyway.

"Alright. Get ready. We have a long day ahead of us."

* * *

Morro breathed in the crisp, cool and refreshing air as they soared through the air on Ashe's dragon. Being at a high altitude with such refreshing air was soothing and just what he needed.. Sure, the Monastery was high up, but flying through the air was much better. It was probably because his element was Wind, but he liked the feel of the air surrounding him. Much better than controlling it.

Ashe's dragon was impressive. A mix of different colors, similar to her gi, and was strong and beautiful. Ashe wasn't too bad either. She was strong and had a good personality. Obviously brave and powerful, she made a good warrior. Morro kind of admired her. She'd changed her gi to a galaxy printed jacket, jeans and a backpack with the money and list of materials and groceries that were needed sat in her lap instead of on her back, just so she didn't knock his face when she needed to lean back to steer.

"So..." He started out awkwardly. "What was our life like before you found out you had an element?"

"Uh, eventful, too. I have eight siblings, so the house tended to get rowdy." He gaped at her, bracing his hands on the dragon's back to lean forward.

"Eight siblings? There are nine of you?"

"Yup!"

"Oh my god..."

"What? Imagining that there are eight others just like me?"

"Yes! I mean, no." Morro frowned. "Are they like you?"

"Eh, a couple of them are similar, but we all have our own personalities. I was three when the first set of twins were born. It goes me, then Shiro and Kuro. Next is Remi, and then Amber, and then the next set of twins, Rey and Ben, and then finally Opal and Jade. So, yeah, there's a lot of us."

"What, did your parents not believe in abstinence?" Ashe snorted as they begin to descend, Ninjago City coming into view.

"Apparently not." She replied, raising her hand. "I never understood them. After Amber was born, I just stopped questioning their whole relationship." Morro chuckled.

"What did you do after all of them were born?"

"When Shiro and Kuro were born, I decided I wanted to try some sports."

"At three?"

"Technically five when I started. And it was awesome! I picked up all sorts of different sports and was really good at them too. By the time I was thirteen, I'd won three world championships, four nationals, and about six districts. It was amazing."

"So you were in pretty good shape when you begin your training as a ninja?"

"Oh, no." Ashe waved her hand. "Alyx is is the one who found us. We weren't ninja. We just were masters with hidden elements and she sensed that. When she found me, I was sixteen. Camille was already with her, and so when Alyx offered to train me to harness my powers, I accepted. By that time, Jade was just about to be born, and by then my parents had grappled with the fact they could handle their terrors. Plus, Shiro and Kuro are thirteen now, so they can help with whatever is needed."

"Do... Have you spoken to them at all?"

"I checked up on them after Garmadon's reign. They're doing fine, and were able to evacuate the city before he completely took over, so they're safe." Morro's shoulders slightly slumped, then looked over the dragon to take in the city that had changed so much since he had seen it last. It was beautiful, but he knew he would need some time to get used to the new changes. He would need time to get used to a lot of changes, actually.

Ashe descended lower before flying in between two buildings, then over a bustling market place. She flew over an opened area, then slowly descended. Once she reached a reasonable height, Morro slid off, landing a bit roughly considering his poor shape, then watched the dragon disingrate. Ashe landed, then swung the backpack over her shoulder, nodding toward a small store with signs that said fifty percent off and all that. Ashe pushed open the door, a bell signaling their arrival. A woman behind the counter looked up, her older and wiser face brightening at the sight of them.

"Ashe, my dear! Oh, so good to see you!" The woman came out from behind the counter, opening her arms happily. Ashe giggled, embracing her in a tight, familiar hug.

"Mioni, it's so good to see you okay. How are you fairing?" They pulled away, Mioni sighing. They held onto each other's arms, Ashe looking at her with worry.

"It's been difficult, but business has been booming, especially after Garmadon's reign." Morro noticed the hint of disgust in the woman's voice at mentioning Garmadon's name. Ashe nodded in understanding.

"I'm glad you're okay." Mioni smiled, patting her arm.

"So! What brings you here today? I saw on the news you are working with the ninja now." She nudged her arm playfully. Ashe laughed.

"Yeah, I am. We met the Green Ninja a couple of weeks ago, and so we ended up falling into their clutches." Ashe giggled. "But, we're having fun. Althought recently it's been difficult." Mioni sighed, almost in understanding.

"If only I was young again." She patted her arm, then finally noticed Morro standing there awkwardly. "And who might you be, dear?"

"This is Morro." Morro expected her to recoil in disgust, but instead she hugged him tightly, almost crushing his tiny frame because of it. For a small, old woman, she was unusually strong.

"Nice to meet you, Morro!" Morro patted her shoulder. "I'm Mioni. Any friend of Ashe's is a friend of mine."

"Nice to meet you, too." He managed. Mioni finally pulled away.

"So, what brings you here today?" Mioni asked, guiding them back to the counter. She slipped behind it again as Ashe dug through to find the list.

"We have a long list." Ashe pulled the material list from her pack, handing it to her. Mioni unfolded it, reading it carefully before nodding.

"I can do the order. It's going to cost some, but I'll look for all of the materials and add it all up. I'll probably have to put it in a crate. Will that be okay?"

"That'll be perfect. How long do you think it'll take?"

"Hmm, probably about an hour to gather it all up." Ashe nodded.

"Okay. That should give us plenty of time for our other errands."

"Once you're all done, it'll be waiting for you on the roof. Then we can discuss the payment." Ashe nodded.

"Thank you, Mioni." The woman smiled at her, then headed into the back to gather the materials. Ashe smiled, feeling satisfied that she was able to get the materials so easily.

"Ready to go- Morro?" Ashe looked around for the too skinny master, her eyebrow raised. "Where'd you go?" He popped out from behind a rack of silk and other soft fabric. He held up a piece of sheepskin.

"It's so soft!" He chirped. Ashe giggled at his excitement.

"Feel the fabric to your left." He lifted the white sateen, his eyes widening.

"Come on, silly. Let's go get something to eat."


	19. Chapter 19

**I do not own Ninjago, it belongs to Lego and Cartoon Network.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Nineteen**_

"Do you think they'll be okay?" Kai asked as he blocked Cole's hammer from the swing. Cole grunted, pushing down before being shoved off, twirling it and adjusting hsi stance, looking hesitant at his next words.

"Who? Lloyd and Alyx?"

"Yeah."

"I dunno." Cole replied, blocking a slash. "They seemed pretty close, huh?"

"I mean, I know they only knew each other for like two weeks, but... I thought that maybe Alyx could help Lloyd in the healing process. After everything happened with Harumi, he needs someone to be in his corner. I know we're here for him, but I just thought she could help him in ways we can't." Cole hummed in thought, rolling out of the way from his swords, and tried to sweep his legs, but Kai jumped and he missed.

"Can't you offer any guidance? I mean, you fell for Skylor and she ended up betraying us and being Chen's daughter."

"Yeah, but she redeemed herself and ended up turning to our side. I'm grateful she did, but the cuts that Harumi left on Lloyd are gonna scar. I just... I figured maybe Alyx could be his friend. I'm not saying they have to be romantic with each other, but they seem like they would be great friends. They could lean on one another for support, that's all." Cole took his words into consideration, then glanced at their side of the Monastery. Kai copied, leaving a perfect opening. Cole swung his hammer and knocked him off his feet.

"Oof!" Kai grunted, his swords falling from his hands and making loud clangs as they settled. "No fair! You tricked me!" Cole laughed, putting his hammer in its holster and helping him up. Kai mumbled under his breath as he gathered his swords, sheathing them and dusting off his pants.

"How is Skylor?" Cole asked. He walked over to the cooler, pulling out a couple of drinks and handing one to Kai.

"She's okay. The noodle house was totally destroyed, so she's been trying to find a new place. Apartment and restuarant wise. She still has all the funds, but it's the matter of relocating that's getting to her." Kai plopped down on the steps. "We haven't spoken in a while, though." Cole followed, sitting a bit more gracefully and taking in the beautiful brand new home.

"Oh." They went silent before Kai nudged him.

'What about you? Find anyone yet?" Cole sighed in exasperation. "Come on, dude. Everyone's got a relationship. Jay and Nya, me and Skylor, Zane and Pixal... And you and cake." Camille came to his mind, but he quickly shook the thought out.

"I told you I gave up cake."

"Uh-huh, because you pigging out after the town threw us that "thanks for saving Ninjago again" party is totally giving it up."

"I did!" Kai laughed. "Look, I'm just not ready. With everything going on, I don't think it's the right time for a relationship." Kai eyed him.

"When will it be?"

* * *

Cole ran his hand over his face as he walked into the control room, hearing Jay muttering swears under his breath as he worked on the comm links. Cole sat down heavily in a chair next to him, watching his hands carefully manuever the small parts. Jay didn't even give him a glance before speaking.

"Hand me that screwdriver. The one with the green band." He picked it up and handed it over, then Jay gently screwed in a small screw, his grip tightening as it got harder to turn. "You look gloomy."

"Hm." He grunted.

"What's up?" Cole scratched his neck.

"When we first got together, and Kai mentioned that he had a sister, you wasted no time in asking about her. How long did it take for her to return those feelings?"

"Uh... Maybe a month or two? We really just got to know one another before I asked her out, and then our first date was just a total disaster. Plus, that whole Perfect Match thing wasn't a great part to our relationshop either."

"Oh..."

"Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering." Jay's movements halted, and he narrowed his eyes before turning his head toward him.

"Cole Hence, do you a crush?"

"No!"

"Ha! I don't believe it! Cole has a crush-" Cole slapped his hand over Jay's mouth, causing him to make a "hmph" noise, and lowered his voice, glancing at the door.

"I do not have a crush. More of an admiration than anything." Jay glanced down at his hand, his blue eyes wide. Cole pulled away, and Jay cleared his throat.

"Admiration of who?"

"Uh... Her name starts with a C."

"Cole, I know you like cake. But seriously, what's her-" Jay stopped as realization dawned on him, then he grinned and picked up a wire with a large plug, and then he picked up a small adapter and tried to fit it in, making a suggestive look. Cole gasped, kicking his leg in horror.

"Jay!" Jay winced before falling off his chair, laughing like a madman at his innuendo. "I don't know why I tell you anything!" Jay slowly came down from his high, wiping his eyes and slowly crawling back into his chair.

"Because I'm your best friend." Cole grunted, crossing his arms and looking away with a brooding look on his face. Jay cleared his throat. "Why do you admire her?"

"She's smart, for one thing. I mean, the fact that she used whatever she had at her disposal for her plan was incredible. Setting up the masters like that, making sure Morro distracted Harumi while that other woman swept in and grabbed Lloyd, and then the whole thing that insinuated after? That was just... Wow."

"Okay, so you like her intelligence. She's funny, too."

"Yeah, really funny. And bold. She's not afraid to show off, but still has a modest tone to her." Cole rubbed his shoulder where she had leaned on. His arm was still tender from the slash, and he was mindful to not rub against the wrap. "I... Guess I do like her a bit." Jay grinned, turning in his chair to look at him straight.

"Do you need some advice?"

"From you? Ha! Don't make laugh." Jay pouted.

"No one in this Monastery are great at relationships. Except for maybe Ray and Maya. You could ask them."

"I... Guess I could. Yeah, I'll ask them."

"And, Cole?"

"Yeah?"

"Camille seems really cool. Get to know her, and maybe she'll return the feelings." Jay nudged his leg with his foot. "Talk to Diana and Ashe, too. Ask them what she likes. I know this situation is morbid and awful, but I think Lloyd would want you to look on the bright side of things." Cole looked down. Jay was right. No matter what kind of situation they had been in, Lloyd was always one to put others ahead of himself. That's what made Lloyd such a great leader and friend.

Cole smiled.

He was so happy that they were best friends.

* * *

Cole peeked around the doorframe to see Maya wringing out a cloth, then patted Alyx's face with it. Alyx flinched, but remained unconscious. Maya put the cloth on the edge of the bowl, then pushed a few strands of white and black behind her ear.

"How is she doing?" He asked quietly.

"A bit better. Still recovering, but it looks like her body is trying to keep up." Maya looked at Alyx longingly, probably wishing she could be talking to be able to catch up with her daughter. Then she looked up at Cole, a smile coming onto her face. "What can I do for you, Cole?"

"Uh, I was gonna ask..." He stepped in, looking out to make sure no one was coming, and then shut the door a few inches to give them a bit more privacy. "How did you and Ray meet?" Maya looked surprised before chuckling under her breath, lifting the bowl and walking to the bathroom.

"Well, we actually met on the battlefield."

"Really?"

"Oh, yes. Wu had just come from recruiting Ray while we were in the midst of battle, and poor thing was just thrown right in into the heat of everything." Maya chuckled as she rinsed out the bowl, a nostaglic look on her face. "Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering..." She carefully eyed him, taking him in, and he felt uncomfortable underneath the veteran's eyes. She held such a great power, even if it was dormant, and he admired how strong she remained throughout the years without her three children. His mother died and it left his bond with his father broken for nearly a year.

"Well, in any case, I'm quite lucky we met. Even if it seemed like our elements were incompatible, we made it work. And we produced three beautiful children too." His gaze turned to Alyx, who kneaded at the blankets, her eyebrows furrowed.

"You did produce some remarkable kids, Maya. Even if one of them is unstable." Maya laughed, a sound that for some reason relaxed him. She wiped her hands dry, then reached and laid her hand on his shoulder. Cole was startled that she was only about three inches shorter than him-no wonder Kai, Nya and Alyx were so tall-and watched her give him a kind, motherly look he hadn't seen in years.

"You know if you need to talk, I'm here." She cupped his face. "I promise I'll listen." He leaned into her touch without thinking, almost nuzzling it if Alyx didn't groan. Maya pulled away, quickly walking over to her and cupping her face.

"Alyx?" Cole stood by the edge of the bed, feeling twinge of hope. Was she waking up? God, he hoped so.

Alyx let out another groan, this time her fists curling on the covers, her face contorting. It looked as though she was trying to wake up, but failed to. Her head lolled over, and her body slumped. Both of them slumped, their hope diminishing. Maya rubbed her daughter's hand, looking ready to cry, pain laced in her eyes. Alyx moaned quietly, her lips moving as she managed out a name in a tiny voice.

"Ll...oyd..."


	20. Chapter 20

**I do not own Ninjago, it belongs to Lego and Cartoon Network.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Twenty**_

 _"Mommy, do you think nightmares come true?"_

 _"Nightmares?"_

 _"Yeah."_

 _"Well... I think they sometimes do, but a lot of nightmares end with good things."_

 _"Really?"_

 _"Yup! Like you for instance."_

 _"I'm not a nightmare!" Cole fell back and squealed as his mother tickled his sides, kicking in a futile attempt. After torturing him for a few seconds, she brought him close, nuzzling her nose into his head. He happily wrapped his arms around her neck, giggling in contentment._

 _"I love you, my little dream."_

Cole opened his eyes to greet the colors of blue fading into red and orange. He slowly sat up, looking around and realizing he fell asleep on the grass area outside the Monastery. He hadn't done that in a while, but it felt good to relax and take a nap. Something else he hadn't done in a while. With everything that had been going on recently, though, who could blame him? Kai was currently on watch duty, and he knew Alyx and Lloyd were safe. Misako and Maya were watching their children like hawks, rarely letting them out of their sights. Cole didn't fault them. After what they both had gone through, they needed to be watched. Hopefully, the girls would share the blueprints for those GPS devices for their new suits. That'd be great, just in case they lost Lloyd again.

That boy really needs to stop getting kidnapped.

Cole looked up at the sound of a dragon's wings, seeing Ashe's dragon slowly beginning to descend, a crate in between its claws. Cole sighed, then pushed himself up to greet them. He opened the doors as the crate settled on the ground, Wu and Diana coming out at the sound of their arrival. Then Ashe moved her dragon over a bit, settling down, and Morro slid off, his landing unsteady. He fell back against her dragon, looking dazed. Her dragon turned its head, gently nudging him back onto his feet.

It was then Cole realized that the current Morro was no threat. He was just a skinny kid who needed a home and a family. His eyes caught Cole's and he stiffened, giving a tiny wave that confirmed it, then he turned to help Ashe with the groceries.

Maybe he wasn't so bad.

As soon as the groceries were put away, he helped Ashe move the crate to a safe spot for Ray. They had yet to return, but it was a long trip to the caves. Jay, Pixal and Zane were still working on the comm links, Kai was on guard duty, and he had no idea what Wu and Diana had been up to. Maybe working on some kind of tea remedies? At least they had something in common.

"Hey, Ashe?" He asked as he tied the rope down to secure the tarp. Ashe peeked around the crate from her end.

"Yeah?"

"What does..." He shook his head, making her give him a strange look before he changed his question. "Do you have the blueprints to the tracking devices?"

"Alyx is the one who designed them, actually. I think they're with her stuff, but considering we were only here for a day before she was taken, I'm pretty sure she hasn't unpacked yet." She pulled the ends of the rope, tightening them before standing up. "I can look. Why? Are you thinking of proposing the idea to Ray?"

"I was just thinking that since some of us have habits of getting captured, it'd be a nice way to keep a good eye on all of us." Ashe chuckled.

"That's true." She helped him up. "I'll take a peek in Alyx's room, see if I can find anything. But that is a good idea. Great thinking, Cole." She stretched then begin to walk to the door to their rooms, pausing before heading in.

"Oh, and Camille likes chocolate eclairs and Starfarer." She winked at him, before disappearing, leaving him to gape after her.

How'd she know?

Before he could follow and find out what she meant, he felt someone tap his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Wu, a small smile on his face.

"What was that about?" He asked cheekily. Cole flushed.

"Uh, nothing." He said quickly, but Cole had a feeling he already knew. Wu chuckled. "What do you need, Sensei?"

"I'd like to speak with you. It's... Concerning your parents."

* * *

 _Lloyd yelped as someone pinched his side, making him jump to the side before grabbing the wrist of his attacker, grabbed his waist and flipped them over his shoulder without a second thought. With a swift movement, he had them pinned on their belly, their arm pinned behind their back as Lloyd straddled his hips._

 _"Ow!" Kai cried. Lloyd gasped as he finally registered who it was, quickly scrambling off to help him up._

 _"That was the best thing I've ever seen." He turned to see Cole, Jay and Nya trying to stifle their laughs while Zane was more concerned about Kai's wellbeing._

 _"Don't scare me like that!" He whined. "I was really freaked out." Kai saw his concern and wrapped him in a hug._

 _"Sorry, I couldn't help myself." Kai comfortingly stroked his hair. "You've lost weight." Lloyd pulled away, looking at the others as they took in his appearance. He frowned._

 _"I have?" Nya eyed him carefully, cupping his face._

 _"You do look a bit thinner." She frowned disapprovingly at him. "Are you eating right?"_

 _"Yes!"_

 _"Are you training more?" Jay asked as he lifted the punching bag onto its hook. Lloyd rubbed the back of his head._

 _"I guess I have." He replied quietly. "I mean, there's nothing really to do. Crime's low, my patrols are kinda boring so I just sit around all day waiting for something to happen. Plus, with all of you gone, it's... Quiet." Guilt flooded their faces. "Don't get me wrong! I love having Maya and Ray here, but it's... Not the same, I guess..." He looked down, shuffling his feet as an awkward silence settled over them. Cole clapped him on the back suddenly, making him jump._

 _"How about you go take a shower and get freshened up? We'll do the same thing. I heard Maya makes a pretty good beef stir fry, so we'll talk about everything over dinner." Lloyd felt relieved. Before he came along and took the title of leader, he'd always admired how Cole could take control of the situation and turn it around. Everyone nodded in agreement before dispersing, giving Lloyd grins and chuckles on their way out._

 _A little later, they were seated around the table, settled in comfortably with their plates served. Maya made beef stir fry and delicious looking rolls, as well as baked halved potatoes. It was so good._

 _Lloyd took in everyone's appearance. They'd been seperated for three months, and people changed in three months. Nya had let her hair grow out, now just a little past her chin, but not quite shoulder length yet. She'd stopped using makeup, and Lloyd liked the cute mole on her face. It always made her look distinguished from the others. Her lips, now wiped from the red lipstick, were pale pink. Lloyd had a feeling she was gonna grow her hair out. Kai hadn't changed much. He actually trimmed his hair, and right now, without it styled, was laying nicely in a good cut, but still pretty long for his spikes. Jay had let his hair just go in its natural fluff, not bothering with styling it. Cole was growing his hair out too, probably too busy with trying to find Wu, yet had a more mature look to him now. Zane was still Titanium, but Lloyd could tell he looked like he wanted to make an announcement._

 _His heart hurt and rejoiced. Maybe they would stay with him tonight._

 _"So, have you lost weight?"_

 _Never mind._

 _Lloyd sighed, looking down at his food and poking it. "Yeah, I have. I've been eating a lot more though, and I've been training, too. I don't know why I'm losing it."_

 _"You were kinda pudgy when we met you." Maya pointed out, making him slightly glare. The others, save for Zane, choked on their food at the comment, looking away to stifle their laughter._

 _"Gee, thanks." He replied._

 _"Maybe you've finally hit puberty." Ray offered. Lloyd frowned._

 _"But what about the Tomorrow's Tea? I figured I went through it then." Nya coughed to hide her giggle, then laid her hand on his arm._

 _"Yeah, but technically you're still just a kid. You may have grown physically, but you're still just a twelve year old boy. Your mentality is probably trying to play catch up, and that's why you've been so moody."_

 _"I'm not moody-" He cut himself off, holding back his retort at their looks._

 _"Nya's right. You've most likely hit puberty." Zane said, then gave him a quick once-over. "I do detect heightened levels of-"_

 _"I don't need to hear this while I eat, Zane." He quickly said, and everyone shut up, but Cole and Jay still nudged each other, snickering. Lloyd frowned at them before returning to his food._

 _That couldn't be, right...?_

* * *

Nya, Ray and Camille returned pretty late. It was almost ten when they did, and they almost missed dinner. The only ones missing were Wu and Cole, but they waved it off and instead told everyone that they got enough Deep Stone for their suits. Ashe informed him that they got the other materials, and all that was needed was metal for armor. Camille said she could provide good quality metal, and would help in the morning.

Nya took a bath, did her normal skin routine, then got dressed and went to check on Alyx. Not much had changed, except instead of being totally still like a dead person, she had started twitching and moving her hands a bit. Nya was ecstatic for the change, and nearly cried. She wanted to know her sister so bad. Alyx needed to wake up. Nya hoped she would wake up. After smiling and saying goodnight to her mother, which still seemed absolutely foreign and unreal, she went to go check on Lloyd. When she got there, she was surprised to see Misako gently folding his clothes and putting them away in his dresser. He didn't have much, and with limited funds between them all, they had very little time to go shopping for new clothes. He made do with his ninja gi, some jeans, a couple of hoodies and shirts, and a few pairs of pajama pants, as well as underwear and socks. Other than that, he didn't have too much.

"Good evening, Nya." Misako greeted quietly as she folded a t-shirt. She looked actually happy folding his clothes, another thing she missed on during her time away.

"Hi." Nya replied, shutting the door quietly behind her. "How is he?"

"Ah, better today. His fever totally broke, and his temperature is totally normal again. I wiped him down, changed his clothes, and redid his wound dressings and now he's perfectly content. Hasn't really made a peep, but I think his body is healing."

"Good." Nya said quietly, sitting on the end of his bed. She was mindful of his leg, but reached and pushed away a lock of his hair from his face, then cupped his cheek, gently running her finger over the bruise on the bone. He let out a soft groan before nuzzling into her touch, making her smile. _So cute._ Nya thought, before noticing how quiet Misako became. She turned her head to see her staring into his bag, her eyes teary.

"What's wrong?" She asked quietly. Misako didn't reply, and instead reached into the bag, pulling out a stack of neatly folded clothes, tied with a strap so they weren't jostled around. Then Nya recognized the gray, touches of green and the white.

Garmadon's sensei robes.

"Oh..." Nya said quietly. Misako ran her fingers down the clothes fondly, looking lost in her memories. Then she shook her head, standing and setting them on top of his dresser, letting out a quiet sigh.

"He misses him."

"We all do." Nya replied gently. "He was a great man. Don't worry, Misako. We will win again. We always do." Misako turned, her hands intertwined.

"And if we don't?"


	21. Chapter 21

**I do not own Ninjago, it belongs to Lego and Cartoon Network.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Twenty-One**_

About two weeks passed.

There were no signs of activity from Garmadon, Harumi, SOG or the Oni. From the looks of it, they had gone into hiding, probably trying to figure out their next move. They didn't dwell on that for long, and instead focused on the fact that Ray was almost done with their new gis. With help from Ashe, they managed to sew the new fabric together, melting down the Deep Stone and combining it, made new padding, and well, they would have to wait for the final outcome, but the whole group was excited for it.

Cole was still missing, and wasn't responding to any texts. Although Wu said he was fine, they still were worried about him. They knew the Earth Ninja could handle himself, but they hoped he was okay.

Lloyd was healing at a rate that had concerned the doctor at first, but after showing positive signs, the doctor was overjoyed that he was doing good. His burn was almost completely healed, the bruises and cuts fading. His fractures were healing, thanks to being unconscious for two weeks, and also having his chest stabilized played a great part in it. His wrist would take longer to heal, but the pins were holding and keeping the bones in place. His health was also improving, but he had to be tube fed, which was slightly gross and upsetting to the other ninja. Thankfully, they had a nurse there to show them how to do it, and she also helped with Alyx's health as well.

Alyx, on the other hand, looked like she was improving one minute, then her health just plummeted. It was terrifying, but it looked like she was holding on stubbornly, which was good. The white in her hair hadn't faded at all, but it was kinda growing on them all. It looked cool to them, giving a true Yin and Yang vibe.

On the other hand, the other projects they were working on were going well. The comm links were almost done, and Zane and Pixal were starting on the GPS devices for their suits. They trained together, save for Morro, who was still gaining the much needed weight back, and seemed to be blending in well. Morro was still an outcast though. He was included by Camille, Ashe and Diana, but the other ninja were slightly stubborn in accepting him into the group, even though he was trying everything to apologize and show he was guilty and ashamed of his actions. Still, as he continued to show it, their hard shells were beginning to crack, little by little.

One cold night, they sat in the living room, huddled with blankets and hot chocolate. They told stories, like what happened after Morro was defeated, and at first they thought he would be offended, but instead he listened intently. They told stories, everything that had led up to the recent events, listening to the sounds of the rain's gentle patter on the roof.

They had finished with how Harumi just played all of them like an instrument, letting Ashe, Diana, Camille and Morro sink the new information in.

"If I didn't hate her already, I hate her now." Diana muttered.

"I... I can't believe she used you all like that." Morro whispered, and he hoped he wasn't being a hypocrite, but instead the ninja nodded in agreement. Nya scowled, looking up from her blueprint of the new Bounty, her expression darkening.

"She had us all wrapped around her finger. Playing the innocent damsel in distress was just disgusting." Nya said, shivering. "To think we trusted her."

"The wounds that she left on Lloyd are going to scar. Maybe literally this time." The pencil in Nya's hands snapped in half. They all looked at her with surprised looks. Nya grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry." They fell into a comfortable, the only noises from Jay and Nya as they worked on their projects. Kai was dozing. Zane and Pixal were cuddling together, reading a book. Diana braided Ashe's hair as Ashe and Camille showed Morro how to play some card games. Jay worked on a comm link, adding the finishing touches to it. Nya sketched the layout for the new Bounty. Cole was still missing, but they had to trust in the Earth Master that he was okay.

A thud caused the peace to break. They all jumped up, getting defensive quick, before realizing the person standing in the doorway, well, leaning in the doorway, was no threat.

Alyx panted hard, clearly strained from making her way from her room to the living room. She held her side with her left arm, her right arm bracing herself against the doorframe. Her hair had grown out a bit, strands of black and white falling in her face. Her skin glistened with sweat, and was pale from the effort.

"What... Happened?" She managed out, even though she looked ready to throw up. She lifted her eyes to them all as they stared in shock. "What. Happened?" She asked more firmly.

"Uh, first of all, you need to sit." Camille said, and she and Nya coaxed her into a chair.

"I'm gonna go get you something to eat and make you some tea." Diana grabbed Morro's hand. "Come help me." Before he could protest, she dragged him into the kitchen. Kai draped a blanket over her shoulders, then rubbed her back to quell her nausea. A few minutes later, Diana and Morro returned with a mug of tea and a few snacks with protein in them. She took the mug with trembling hands, too skinny and small, and took a small sip. Morro crouched by her, holding the plate in reach just in case she needed them.

After Alyx ate a small amount of cheese and drank a bit more tea, her shaking finally stopped, and she was able to speak without thinking she might throw up. Everyone relaxed and waited for her to speak, Nya and Kai waiting close by. Maya had taken a break after Kai told her she needed rest, so that must be why Alyx managed to make her way without repercussions.

"What happened?" Alyx repeated. Her voice was still quiet, but quite firm. She eyed Morro with a raised eyebrow, but felt comfortable enough by leaning against the arm of the chair where he was sitting by.

"It's... A long story." Zane said. "You... Don't remember anything?" Alyx looked down at her mug, watching the tea swirl. She shut her eyes.

"Do I want to remember it?"

"Not really." Kai replied. Nya slapped his arm. "Ow!" Alyx sighed, tightening her grip on the cup and curling her toes, wanting to cry, so she shut her eyes.

"I... I just remember bits and pieces..." She murmured. As she focused and tried to center herself, bit by bit coming back.

 _Lloyd!_

 _Get up!_

 _She isn't even resisting me! This is great!_

 _Get out of her body!_

 _You should be more careful of who you choose as your friends._

 _You should have never been born in the first place._

 _The sound of cries and shrieks of pain._

 _Cheering._

 _And blood. So much blood._

 _Then an image cleared perfectly._

 _Lloyd clawed at her hand. Tears streamed down his bruised and cut face. His lip was split, blood trailing down the side of his mouth. His hair was disheveled. A thick line of red trailed down the side of his face, covering the right side of his face. Tears poured out from his eyes that changed between green and red, and were full of fear. Her hand was wrapped around his neck, nails digging into the beautiful fair flesh she had admired, tightening slowly as he struggled to breathe and to get out of her hold. A sob ripped through his throat as he managed one word:_

 _"Al...yx..."_

Alyx sobbed.

A horrid sound, really. Jay quickly took the mug from her hands with lightning fast speed so it didn't drop and shatter on the ground, and Kai and Nya enveloped her in a warmy, comforting embrace. Alyx cried for a long time, not having done so since she left her parents. She held onto Kai's sleeve as he stroked her hair comfortingly, Nya rubbing her back and soothing her with words, but Alyx's ears were ringing.

After a while, she calmed down, although she still sniffed occasionally. Kai started to pull away, but Alyx held onto his sleeve for dear life. He responded by pulling her closer, rubbing her arm gently.

"Is... Is he okay...?" She croaked.

"He's healing." Pixal soothed. "Both of you are alive. That's what matters." Alyx sniffed, then buried her face into Kai's arm, loving the warmth he was emitting.

"But he's okay?" Alyx repeated, even though her voice was muffled by his sleeve.

"Yes, he's okay." Kai replied. He ran his fingers through her hair, and she totally went lax in his hold. She curled up, and suddenly looked very tiny in his arms.

"It's going to be okay."

* * *

Camille was first to be awake the next morning. After peeking in Alyx's room to see Ray, Maya, Kai and Nya cuddling around Alyx like bears, Camille felt a satisfaction in her heart and went to get started on the coffee. As she turned the maker on, she heard the gates quietly shut. Maybe it was Wu heading out to meditate, but she still went to investigate.

Cole was trying to head into their room hallway, but Camille caught him.

"Cole?" He froze like a deer, then slowly turned to look at her. "You're okay!" She said, but kept her voice low. He blushed darkly.

"Yeah. I, uh, was... with... Um... God, how do I explain it?" He mumbled. Camille walked over, looping her arm around his and led him into the kitchen, sitting him down. He wore a simple black jacket, an orange shirt and jeans. He looked tired, but his eyes showed he was happy for some reason. She poured a glass of water and set it down in front of him, taking him in consideration.

"Thanks." He said and took a sip, sighing. "Guess I owe everyone an explanation, huh?"

"Oh, a big one." She replied, slowly sitting down across from him. "Is everything okay?" He tapped his fingers against the glass, staring into the glass, clearly avoiding her concerned stare.

"My mom is alive."

Camille almost didn't hear him.

"Sorry, repeat that." Camille asked, trying to keep her voice gentle, but it went up a pitch out of shock. He flinched, letting out a sigh.

"My mother is alive." Cole repeated. "She's alive. Healthy and alive." He curled his hands into fists, his eyes watering.

"Oh, my gosh." She said, the pieces finally connecting. No wonder Estelle looked so familiar! The hair, the eyes, the voice!

Oh.

"Estelle is your mom." She repeated and he nodded. "Huh." Cole rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands, looking tired and upset.

"I... I watched her die. I felt her fade. I don't... I don't understand. I don't understand how she's alive, even though she explained it to us so many times. I... I don't know what to do..." He buried his face in his hands, his body shaking from anxiety. Camille got up quickly and walked over, kneeling beside him and pulling him close. He stiffened a bit, before leaning into her, holding onto her arm with one hand.

"Are you happy she's alive?"

"Of course I am. Dad... Dad is happy too, but we're still..."

"Trying to figure out how she's alive?"

"Yeah. I mean... Kai and Nya have experience with this kind of stuff. They thought their parents were dead until the whole Time Twins thing, so... Maybe I'll ask them." Camille put her finger underneath his chin, lifting and tilting his head back. He blinked up at her with a confused expression.

"Honestly, dude, just cherish this. Maybe ask Morro about it all."

"Morro?"

"Yeah. It sounds like he and Estelle were held together for a really long time, so, maybe ask him." Cole blinked, his eyes flicking around as he thought it over, then slowly nodded.

"I guess I could." She let her hand fall away and he laid his head against her shoulder, his big body almost comical looking against her tiny height. "I guess I'm just shocked still."

"Well, duh."

"Don't be sassy. I'm just saying." Camille laughed. "Anything happen while I was gone?"

"Uh... Alyx woke up yesterday." He pulled away, his eyes wide.

"Are you serious?"

"Yup!" She frowned, her shoulders slumping. "But she feels extremely guilty for what happened to Lloyd."

"But it wasn't her."

"It was her body." Camille pointed out. "I think she feels responsible for letting Harumi use her body like that. Especially after she promised to protect him."

"When'd she make that promise?"

"After he was almost kidnapped when he was with us, we all made a promise to protect him." Cole chuckled, flashing back to when the snap of realization hit him and he felt ready to protect the kid. It was shortly after they got him from Darkley's after he hung out with Pythor and although he messed his dish up and also pranked him several other times, it was when he nearly got stuck in the dryer after trying to hide them. It took Cole's strength to finally pull him out. Lloyd had been in hysterics, but also crying because he dislocated his shoulder when trying to pull himself out. Cole comforted him while Nya popped it back in place. That was heartbreaking, especially for a ten year old.

Cole sighed.

"I think everyone is going to be overprotective now. Pretty sure we won't even let him use a sharpening stone now." Camille giggled, a sweet sound to his ears.

"Well, whatever happens, I think Lloyd is in safe hands now." Cole nodded in agreement, before his stomach growled. He sheepishly grinned as she tried to hold in her laugh.

"I think I could go for some breakfast. Wanna join me?"


	22. Chapter 22

**I do not own Ninjago, it belongs to Lego and Cartoon Network.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Twenty-Two**_

"Are you happy she's alive?"

Cole picked at his burrito, staring despondently down at the clouds from their small patch of grass on the mountain. After getting some food from a restuarant, they set themselves up outside so the others could sleep a bit longer. The sat side by side, eating their breakfast burritos and cinnamon rolls peacefully. Camille finally broke the silence, and Cole pondered over her question.

"Of course I'm happy." He finally said. "I mean, we did just spend the last couple of weeks with her and I've missed her so much, but... I dunno." He groaned and leaned back, setting his burrito down on his chest, then covered his eyes.

"Not sure how to feel?"

"My emotions are just jumbled up." He mumbled. "I can't think straight. I feel like if we have to fight again, I'll get distracted and something bad will happen." Camille remained quiet, mulling over his worries, before gently laying her hand on his thigh. He nearly jerked away at the touch, and uncovered his eyes to see her smiling at him softly.

"I don't know what you're going through, so I can't offer much advice. But... Cherish the present right now. We don't know what kind of future we have, and it's unexpected. Scary, even. But learn to cherish this present, this moment of peace while you can. It's better than worrying about every decision that you make." She moved her hand up to his hand, curling her hand around his. "I promise you this, you will not regret it." He stared at her for a moment, taking in how the sun made the darker freckles come out on her already dark skin, the steely grey eyes, silver dyed hair contrasting perfectly against her skin...

Cole resisted gulping, and instead smiled, squeezing her hand happily.

"Thanks, Camille." She smiled at him, returning back to her breakfast plate. He finally could breathe, and begin to eat his burrito again.

"So, what do you like to do when you're not saving ninjas?" She snickered at him, grinning.

"Well, I do like to read. Comics or books. Either one is fine. I like Starfarer, but not the movies." She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "The movies can go to hell." Cole laughed.

"Don't like them too much?"

"Ugh! They didn't follow the comics at all! All they did was make it another stupid cliche movie." Camille angrily stabbed at her bowl. Cole grinned.

"You and Jay should get together and talk about it." He chuckled.

"Oh, is he a fan, too?"

"Lloyd's the one who got him into the series, actually." Cole frowned, balling up his burrito wrapper and tossing it in the bag. "Lloyd hasn't read them at all."

"How come?"

"I don't know. He actually apologized for getting Jay into the comics, as if it was bad he read them." Camille frowned.

"The weight of the world had been on his shoulders, right? He'd grown up rapidly and that weight became even greater. I can't imagine being a destined ninja." She moved the metal zipper on her jacket up and down with her powers. "I barely accepted being an elemental master."

"Honestly, when Sensei told me that he was going to teach me how to become a ninja, I almost turned down his offer."

"What changed your mind?"

"I... Thought about how if I declined, I would go back to school and be forced into a life I didn't want. And my relationship with my father was already being stretched thin because of Mom's apparent death. It was the breaking point, so I just told him I was going to study at the school like he wanted me to, and we didn't speak until we were trying to stop Pythor from getting the Fangblade." Camille snickered at him.

"How was dancing in your ninja outfit?" She asked, popping a piece of her cinnamon roll in her mouth.

"They're made for flexibility." He mumbled in defense.

"Oh, so you're pretty flexible?" Camille looked at him innocently, wiping her fingers on her napkin. Cole furrowed his eyebrows.

"Well, yeah. Being a ninja you have to be." Camille scanned him, before setting her box aside and tackling him with such speed she looked like a silver blur. He was grateful he had finished his food or else it would have spilled all over him. He fell back with a thud, rather stunned by her strength. He felt her hand wrap around his ankle, too small to fully wrap, but that didn't matter as she pushed his leg forward to his chest so his knee was to his collarbone.

"H-Hey!" He gasped, a slight pull to his hip. He hadn't stretched properly earlier that morning. Camille simply grinned down at him, strands of fading silver hair falling out of her ponytail.

"Aww, come on, Cole. It's not that bad." She pushed his leg down a bit more, then grabbed his other leg and repeated the move. He let out an embarrassing squeak, liking the way she was touching him, and how close she was. He could smell her shampoo, a mix of flower scents. He kind of wondered what brand she used.

Cole covered his mouth when she bent him more, smirking down at him smugly.

And then she abruptly pulled away, going back to her spot and returning to her cinnamon roll, popping another piece into mouth.

"Pretty flexible." She purred. He cleared his throat, sitting back up and adjusting his clothes, picking up his own cinnamon roll to eat it.

"Uh... um... Thanks." He said awkwardly. "Maybe later we could, uh, test your flexibility." Camille gave him a smirk, before biting her bottom lip that he found quite attractive.

"Maybe so."

* * *

Alyx took the mug with shaking hands, still not used to having bodily function yet.

"It's hot, dear. Blow and then sip." Alyx nodded, taking in the sweet smell of the herbal tea before she blew softly on it, then took a small sip.

"T-Thanks." She murmured, her voice hoarse from being out for...

"How long was I... Was I out?"

"Maybe three weeks." Maya replied, moving around her bedroom. Alyx noticed that her very few boxes had been unpacked and folded down, and she had a feeling her mother did unpack for her. Alyx distantly wondered where her underwear was put.

"That long...?"

"Yeah. Out like a light." Maya folded a blanket before setting it on the edge of the bed. "You didn't move a muscle for a while." Alyx moved her head in acknowledgement before taking another sip, debating whether or not she should ask about Lloyd. But instead, she asked about Morro.

"What's up with him? He's alive?"

"Oh, yeah, I guess. I have no idea how. He said after Day of the Departed, he woke up outside of Ninjago City, in a mortal body. Has no idea how he got there." Alyx grunted.

"Probably the Cloud Kingdom screwing with us again." Maya chuckled, shaking her head.

"Bad run in?"

"Ugh." She sipped her drink again, deciding not to talk about it, looking anywhere but her mother's face.

"He's doing okay."

"What?"

"Lloyd. You're worried about him." Alyx sighed.

"Yeah, I am..."

"What are you thinking?"

"That he's totally going to be afraid of me now."

"Honey..."

"He'll probably go into a PTSD episode when he sees me. There'll be screaming and crying, maybe something will get broken, and the others will have to pull him out of the room... He'll most likely try to kill me."

"Alyx, stop."

"Oh, definitely will try to throw some energy balls at me, and maybe even try to fight me."

"Stop!"

Alyx stopped herself, looking at her mom with worry and regret.

"S-Sorry..." She whispered. Maya held up her hand before reaching and laying it on her thigh.

"Honey, that's not going to happen. He'll probably be afraid of you at first, but it wasn't you hurting him. It was your body, yes, but it was Harumi hurting him. Not you. Not you at all."

"But I didn't..."

"Stop it, Alyx. I don't want to hear your self pity."

"I didn't even fight back..." She mumbled, and Maya looked at her with wide eyes.

"What was that?"

"You know when you're driving a mech?"

"What?"

"And you see out of the viewport and all that, and you think you're steering, but really, you're not? That's how it felt when Harumi possessed me. I fought at first, but she... She was stronger." Alyx bowed her head. "Her emotions were terrible. Too strong and awful and I wanted to throw up but I couldn't and all I could do was watch her hurt Lloyd and everyone else and then finally I worked up the strength to do whatever I did and I just-" A sob broke through, cutting her off, and Alyx was startled when she realized it was herself. "I'm terrible. I'm so terrible."

"Alyx..." Knowing words wouldn't work on her right now, Maya pulled the mug away from her hands and set it on the nightstand and wrapped her arms around her, pulling her close and just holding her tight as she broke down.

"Oh, my poor Alyx..."


	23. Chapter 23

**Anyone else seeing more and more of Lloyd's Oni side this season, or is it just me?**

 **I do not own Ninjago, it belongs to Lego and Cartoon Network.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Twenty-Three**_

Garmadon was brooding.

Knowing how he brooded, Harumi felt a bit afraid of it. His power hadn't returned, as far as she knew, but still. He could just throw a bucket of water on her and make her disappear if he wanted to. Harumi made a mental note to hide all buckets and faucets in the facility.

Although, that probably wouldn't be necessary if this plan worked out.

"My Emperor?" Harumi asked as she floated into the room. Garmadon tilted his head, his hands clasped behind his back, the top two in the front crossed.

"What?"

"Are you alright?" He simply gave a grunt in reply.

"What do you need?"

"I have a plan."

"Oh? Is that so? A good plan?"

"It's part of one." He then turned, his glowing red eyes boring into her. They narrowed, reminding her of how Lloyd's narrowed with his anger, the way the green flickered to red, and the red flickered to green. Mesmerizing, in fact.

"What is it? And what are you holding?" She extended the book to him, bowing her head low as he took it from her, flipping through a few pages.

"It was on Alyx when I searched her. It's a spellbook." He let out a hum, which was a first. Then she realized it was a hum of appreciation. Again, a first.

"And why are you looking at it?" She focused, solidfying her hand before flipping a few pages, landing on the spell and pointing at it. He read the brief summary, then frowned, looking up at her.

"And how are you going to perform this spell? You have no one here that are trained in these arts."

"Actually, we do." She floated aside and ushered in a woman, who smiled calmly at Garmadon, and bowed. Her black hair was pinned in a bun, her robes traditional, and she held a cup of tea in her hands. She looked human, but her glowing red eyes set her apart.

"Greetings, my Emperor. Pleasure to meet you at last." Garmadon gave her a onceover before turning to Harumi, closing the book.

"She's a sorceress?"

"And a very good one. She's the one who manipulated Lloyd's powers to weaken him." His eyebrows raised and he looked over at her as she smiled smugly.

"To do such a thing to such a powerful being is quite intriguing. Powerful?"

"Very. I have lived in this realm for many years. I have studied and adapted to the ever changing flow of magic. I would be more than happy to assist Milady in this process."

"It will be painful."

"I am aware." Harumi said quietly. "But I will take it." Garmadon took it in consideration before handing the book back to Harumi and nodding.

"Very well. Proceed. Do not disturb me until I can think of a new plan."

"Yes, my Emperor." With that, Harumi and the woman left, and Garmadon went back to brooding, or, as he said, planning.

Now, to figure out a way to do it...

* * *

Morro whistled appreciatively at Alyx's kick, blocking it and trying to go for her side. She blocked it smoothly, going to sweep his legs but he jumped over and flipped over her. They circled the court with each other, grinning and chuckling.

"The white hair is growing on me." Morro commented as she tucked a strand behind her ear.

"Yeah, it is on me too." Alyx readjusted her stance, her eyes analyzing every little move and twitch he made. "Are you gonna cut your hair?"

"Uh, I think I was supposed to buy ties the other day, but I forgot." Alyx laughed.

"You're strange."

"Oof, when did you find that out?"

Kai watched from the Bridge, frowning slightly at how well the two were getting along. It was a strange sight, seeing them talk and laugh with each other, and the sibling-like banter that went on between them. He was supposed to be helping Jay with the final GPS systems but he was too preoccupied in watching his sister and Morro.

The doctor gave Alyx a clean bill of health, allowing her to go back to training, but only light sparring and exercises, plus limited power using. He had to draw another blood sample from Lloyd to make sure he was still okay, because he was still unconscious, and if he didn't wake up any time soon within the next few days, they would have to pull him out from the coma themselves so they didn't risk brain damage from being in a coma for so long. Sad to think about, but it was true. He's been out for a month already, and even though there had been no signs of Garmadon, the Oni or the SOG, they still knew they had to be prepared for the coming war.

Jay walked up next to him, wiping his hands clean from the oil and looking up at him, seeing his scrunched up face.

"You know they have things in common, right?"

"And what are those things, Jay?"

"They've both had rough lives and have had hurt Lloyd in some way. Plus, they look like they want to redeem themselves."

"Alyx didn't hurt him on purpose. Morro did, and if you haven't forgotten, has tried to kill us on purpose, too."

"I haven't forgotten, Kai. I'm just saying that it's... Well, I think they should bond."

"Jay!"

"Hey! Sensei has told us we need to accept Morro, especially now that he's living with us. Plus, the other day, I saw him trying to crack an egg for Zane's omelette, and he ended up almost crying when he broke the whole thing."

"Seriously?"

"He's really trying, and I think we should try, too. Like, last night, I was helping Nya with the blueprints of the Bounty, and he asked us how we were able to come up with that so fast. He was genuinely interested, like a little kid learning something for the first time." Kai pursed his lips, narrowing his eyes at Jay before looking at them again, watching as Alyx crouched, kicking his legs out from underneath him, and pinning him on his stomach. She pinned his arm behind his back, making him yelp and slap the ground.

"Say uncle! Say uncle!" Alyx giggled.

"Uncle! Uncle! Uncle!" She released his arm and he flopped on the ground.

"So, how many is that now?"

"...Seven for you, zero for me."

"And it shall remain like that." Morro whined and pushed himself onto his knees and she extended her hand. He took it gratefully. "Come on, I bet there are still cookies from last night!"

"Pantry raid?"

"Pantry raid." And they ran to the kitchen, giggling like little kids. Kai softened as he saw the glimmer in Alyx's eyes, something that hadn't been there since the Blood Bath happened.

"If it makes you feel any better, Morro is totally afraid of you." Kai looked back at Jay as he tapped on the computer, humming softly to himself.

"He is?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm pretty sure he thinks you'll assassinate him in his sleep."

"Don't give me ideas." But he sighed in defeat and nodded. "Fine, I... I guess I'll try to be friendly with him." Jay grinned at him happily and Kai pouted. He hated that stupid smile. His stupid future brother-in-law had that stupid smile that could put anyone in place and forget everything they were talking about.

"Help me with this thing real quick."

"Okay." Kai walked over as Jay gathered up a few tools, looking over the perfect comm links and GPS devices. They set to work on finishing a small side project, letting Jay rest a bit from the GPS project while they did.

The peace was interrupted by shouting.

"Cole! Nya! I need your help in here!" They darted out to see Maya at the boys' side of the Monastery, looking panicked and terrified. Cole and Nya ran after her as she disappeared and the others followed shortly. Kai noticed Alyx and Morro were the only ones who stayed behind, standing there wtih Wu and Ray, looking just as worried. The others crowded the doorway to see what was going on.

Lloyd was thrashing, Misako and Maya already having pinned down his arms, and Cole immediately grabbed onto his legs, making sure he wasn't holding his burned area, and held his legs down as he sobbed brokenly. Nya ran over, cupping Lloyd's face and holding it tightly in her hands. His eyes were no longer green, but rather flicking between red and green, but were wild and his pupilsl were dilated as he freaked out.

"Lloyd, Lloyd, hey, it's okay!" Nya tried and when that didn't work, she started stroking his cheekbones and humming under her breath. Kai recognized it as the lullaby he used to sing to her as a kid, and then Nya once sung it to Lloyd when he was younger, before and after the Green Ninja thing, and before he got his growth spurt. Lloyd recognized it after a second, his eyes squeezing shut as he buried his face into her shirt, his panting wild and heavy. Slowly, he calmed down, his body relaxing back into his bed. Misako, Maya and Cole lessened their grip, but didn't let go, just in case he started up again.

"You're okay... You're safe... You're protected..."

* * *

The doctor froze like a deer in the headlights as he came out, feeling multiple pairs of eyes on him. He cleared his throat, adjusting his bag and nodding at Wu as he approached.

"He's healthy, but he still has much recovery ahead of him." Dr. Lee hesitated, glancing at Alyx quickly before refocusing on the matter. "I'm not sure how much he actually remembers, or what kind of pyschological damage this situation has done to him, and once he's feeling a bit better from waking up, I want to do a full pysche eval just to make sure." Wu nodded.

"That sounds good. What about physically?"

"Well, his burn has almost completely healed. His arm will still take quite some time. His ribs look good, too, but they are still in their stable wrapping until they are completely healed. As for his throat... I believe there is no damage to the windpipe, but being in a coma for weeks, I don't think he'll gain his voice back too soon. Keep him on a good soft food diet that is filled with protein, and I believe he should recover slowly but surely." Wu nodded. "And no visitors." The whole group groaned before cutting off as Wu raised his staff in a motion of silence.

"Thank you, Dr. Lee. Just let me know when you would like to have the nurse arrive and we will make sure she is taken care of." Dr. Lee nodded, gave a small wave to the group, and left. Wu shut the doors behind him, before turning to everyone as they waited expectantly.

"No one visits him until he is ready, both medically and mentally. I don't want him to have another episode like earlier." Wu sighed, his knuckles white on his staff. They noticed how it shook slightly, but he dismissed them all and he and Ray went back to his quarters to talk. Cole and Nya remained in the room, just in case Misako and Maya needed help, but they came out shortly after Wu and Ray left, looking shellshocked and scared.

"Is he okay?" Diana asked.

"He's..." Nya broke down, sobbing into her hands. Kai and Jay immediately wrapped her up in a hug, and Cole collapsed against one of the pillars. Zane and Camille were next to him in an instant, seeing that he was just blankly staring at nothing and that made heavy lead weights settle in their stomachs. Alyx looked down, stood up, and left, disappearing into their quarters hallway, and Morro went to go after her, but decided to let her brood for a moment and then go check on her.

What the hell happened to Lloyd?


	24. Chapter 24

**I do not own Ninjago, it belongs to Lego and Cartoon Network.**

* * *

 _ **Chapter Twenty-Four**_

"Alright, Lloyd, I'm going to ask you a series of questions. You don't have to speak, just nod or shake your head, and point at images when I tell you to, okay? We're going to start with a small memory jerker, so..." Nurse Yuki picked up the photo of the ninja, holding it up in his view. "Just let me know when you're ready."

Misako, Ray, Maya and Wu watched from the doorway nervously, wondering how much damage there was. According to some scans from when he was first brought to the hospital straight from the Wailing Alps, there was no bleeding in the brain, just a mild concussion that they were worried about, but with him being a coma there was no way to tell anything was hurt from his injuries. Now that he was awake, had food in his system and was now slightly more alert after a few days of being awake, the doctor and nurse agreed with each other that it was time for some brain teasers to check if he was alright.

God, they hoped so.

"Okay. Which one is Jay?"

Lloyd stared at the photo for a really long time. That's what it seemed like anyway, when in actual reality it was just three minutes. After another few seconds, he shakily lifted a finger and pointed at the right person.

"Good." Yuki said gently. "A bit slow, but good. Now which one is Zane?"

This one took about two minutes, but again, he pointed at the right person.

"Good. Cole?"

Right person again.

"Nya?"

This one took him longer, and then his face contorted into panic, which led to him shaking his head. Panic begin to rise in their chests, and Maya stifled a small whine.

"It's okay, Lloyd. Is the image of her distorted?" He nodded. "Alright, that's okay. That's okay. This is Nya right here." She pointed to her, letting his panicked expression falter a bit. "This is Nya. Now, who is Kai?" Again, he stared, then shook his head.

Ray immediately pulled Maya away from the scene, taking her out and leaving Wu and Misako to watch the rest. Yuki calmed him down, made sure he was okay, then continued with her questions.

"Now, do you remember what happened to you?" Lloyd's eyes went dark as he tried to think, and after a moment, he shook his head, looking down at his broken wrist. Yuki nodded, nearly sighing in relief, but kept it quiet.

"That's alright."

After a few more questions, she helped him get settled under the covers, checked his vitals and IV, watched him fall asleep, then gathered her notes and walked out. Misako and Wu backed out, watching her close the door to a crack and she turned to them, letting out a sigh through her mouth.

"I am slightly worried. From what I learned, Kai and Nya played a huge role in Lloyd's life with him growing up. Before the Tomorrow's Tea, they seemed to fill in the part of the older siblings, and it was needed. And yet... He doesn't remember them. I'm not sure why."

"Could it be because of the way the two are related to Alyx?" Misako asked.

"Alyx is the the one who caused the trauma to him, yes?"

"Well, her body, yes. She was possessed by an old enemy, so it was her body, just not her."

"Okay... The burn on his leg was from her powers. She didn't use water at all?"

"No."

"Most interesting..." Yuki sighed, stopping right at the doorway to the courtyard, laying her hand on the knob. "I would like to talk to Dr. Lee about this. Most likely he will want to do a pysche eval, as well as a few scans. Although he remembered some of the other ninja, I'm not sure how much of his memory is actually distorted. It could be small damages here and there, or chunks of memory could be missing."

"You mean... Certain things in his life... He might not remember them?" Yuki simply frowned, looking at them pointedly. The two made noises unknown, and Yuki sighed.

"Now, try not to stress him out with anything, no matter how small it may be. Keep him on the protein diet. I will talk to Dr. Lee and be back with a treatment plan. I will be back soon."

"May we update the others?" Yuki pursed her lips.

"It would not be wise. It may offset the ninja's mood."

"More than it already is offset?" Misako asked.

"I know all of you are worried about him, but sped up healing won't work this time. This damage is too great to be magically healed, and if it's rushed, it could have disastrous consequences. I know there's the threat of Garmadon now, but what happened to him is far too great to rush. Please, let us help him normally."

* * *

 _"We have gifts!"_

 _"Gifts?" The whole table chorused. Ray grinned, then handed Maya half the boxes he was holding and they passed them around._

 _"Ooh... They're pretty." Jay commented, fiddling with the wrap. Ray and Maya sat, grins on their faces._

 _"Go ahead and open them." The ninja happily obliged, opening the boxes with ethused faces._

 _"New suits!" Kai exclaimed, holding his up._

 _"Hey! We have the same!" Nya giggled, holding her suit up next to his._

 _"Sibling duo!" Jay laughed, holding his up to his body. "Man, how'd you figure out my size?"_

 _"Calculated guess." Ray replied smugly._

 _"How come mine doesn't have sleeves?" Cole asked._

 _"You like showing off your biceps, don't you?" Maya asked. Cole laughed._

 _"Point taken." Lloyd rolled his eyes along with the others before setting his suit down and lifting the paper covering something else._

 _"Whoa." Lloyd said, wrapping his hand around the handle and lifting it out of the box._

 _"Oooh..." Everyone chorused. He stood and made a few slashes, then held it up to read the inscription._

 _"It says Lloyd. That's original."_

 _"We were thinking of putting Energy, but we decided against it." Lloyd simply smiled, looking back down at the sword and running the pads of his fingers along the shiny new blade, taking in the details of the green and black handle and admiring the curved blade._

 _A warmth settled in his heart._

 _As he walked to the kitchen after his shower to get a snack, he froze right outside, quickly sidestepping to let his shadow disappear._

 _"Do you really think she might...?"_

 _"I'm not sure. Being on the surface has allowed me to check recent reports. Some say four people dressed in ninja like suits have helped release villages, stolen back artifacts and items that were stolen, and multiple other things, but they haven't seen their faces and they don't know their names. They nicknamed one person Halfblood, because.. Well..."_

 _"So they are using their powers."_

 _"It seems so." Maya sighed heavily._

 _"But we need actual proof that they're alive."_

 _"I know. We can try looking. Maybe we can ask Misako if she could look out?"_

 _"I'm not sure I can trust her just yet."_

 _"And why's that?"_

 _"She gave Lloyd abandonment issues first of all."_

 _"Maya!"_

 _"Hey! She was travelling! She could've taken him with her because he was a baby, but no, she left him at the horrid school and look what happened to him! It's not his fault he got parents that are messed up."_

 _"We're not that better."_

 _"But we had to leave, Ray. You know that. Crux would've hurt Kai and Nya if we didn't comply." He heard a sigh, and he peeked around the corner to see Ray pulling Maya close._

 _"She's alive. I know it."_

* * *

"I brought you some soup." Maya said softly, sitting the bowl on the tray. Lloyd sat up excitedly before wincing. "Hold on, hold on." She helped him sit up, making sure he was comfortable before setting the tray a bit closer.

"It's hot, so be careful." Lloyd nodded before starting to eat. Afterwards, he pushed aside the bowl, then gestured to the whiteboard. She picked it up and handed it to him, handing him the marker and picking up his bowl to get it out of his way.

As she was turned around, she felt a tug on her shirt. She turned back around to see him holding up the board with messy but legible writing.

 **i knew about her**

Maya raised an eyebrow.

"About who?" Lloyd frowned at her, rollling his hand in a gesture, but his eyes showed he was panicked. "Oh, about... About Alyx." He nodded quickly, erasing his writing.

 **i knew, but i didn't think about it. i heard your conversation shortly before sog but i didn't think any of it**

"Oh, Lloyd. We should've told Kai and Nya from the start. Should've told everyone, but we didn't think about it either." She laid a hand on his head and stroked his hair, then cupped his face. "Just rest. Once you're better, we will talk, okay?" He nodded, then lowered the board, looking at her tiredly. He erased and begin to write. Then he turned the board and her stomach jumped into her throat.

 **im sorry for being me**


	25. Chapter 25

**Last chapter was short, but I hope it got to the point? I don't know, I didn't know what to add and now it seems a bit rushed, but hope you like this chapter.**

 **I do not own Ninjago, it belongs to Lego and Cartoon Network.**

* * *

 ** _Chapter Twenty-Five_**

The main thing they were worried about was Lloyd's reaction to Alyx and Morro being in the Monastery. Although he was so far passing his psych evals and such, the doctor was asking them specifically not to let them encounter one another yet. Everyone agreed with that decision and decided not to rush anything. After seeing how broken Lloyd was, it's only fair that they agree with what Wu and the doctor says.

Alyx placed the last pin on the map, before stepping away, eyeing it carefully. Everyone, excluding Misako, analyzed the map with worry and anticipation.

"These pins represent the recent sightings of the Oni and SOG. Although it doesn't seem like they have attacked, they have been causing mass panic in villages and towns. The most heavy sightings are in this area." Alyx circled a location with about ten pins. "Not sure what it's about, but I'm thinking of going out there to see what's going on. It's near an old village about six miles north of the sightings so I'm thinking of going and doing some recon. Figure out what's so special about Yuki Forest."

Kai wrinkled his nose.

"You really think it's wise to go out there by yourself? Especially after everything happened?" Alyx made a little nod.

"I know. Would it be okay if I took Morro with me, Sensei?" Morro's eyes widened. Wu thought about it, stroking his beard before nodding.

"Of course. When will you leave?"

"As soon as possible." Alyx replied. "Maybe tomorrow morning before dawn." Wu nodded.

"Good. As you investigate the sightings, we'll remain here and figure out..." He sighed, looking in the direction of Lloyd's room. "Figure out ways to help Lloyd come back to us."

* * *

Alyx and Morro left about five am, packed and fueled with Zane's breakfast. At least with training and eating right Morro had gotten stronger, way stronger, and was able to summon his elemental dragon, a beautiful forest green colored dragon with hints of purple hues. The travel to the village was short, only about three hours, and they managed to arrived at almost nine in the morning. Thankfully, they weren't really noticed by anyone as they walked through to the elder's house.

Morro kept looking around with an analytical look in his eye, his nose wrinkles with his hands folded across his chest. Alyx glanced at him, chuckling.

"What's wrong with you?"

"This place gives me the creeps." Alyx glanced over that Morro, biting back her reply, but Morro figured it out before she could look away fully.

"Yeah, I know. I, who used to be a ghost and built an entire empire on a city over water thinks this place is creepy." Alyx laughed.

"I'm not judging, Morro. I just think it's... Nice."

"Nice?"

"I like the fact that you're changing."

"You do?"

"Of course. From getting it into your head that you might be the Green Ninja, to possessing the Green Ninja, to trying to stop Garmadon, the Oni and the SOG is a huge change. And I think you like the fact, too."

"...Maybe." Alyx chuckled, patting his back.

But he was right. The place was giving her the creeps. Although people walked around, ran stalls with fruits, flowers, fresh baked goods and other items, the village had a gloom to it. No one was smiling and even the children seemed depressed.

"Morro, what do you think happened here?"

"I don't know. Maybe we'll see when we get to the elders." Two guards guarded the small house, holding spears and looking rather... Dull, yet intimidating.

Morro and Alyx glanced at each other before stepping forward to introduce themselves.

"Hello, we are here to speak with your elders. So if you don't mind-"

The spears came down sharply, nearly slicing a lock of her hair off. Alyx stared at the crossed blades in surprised, blinking at the guards.

"Eh?"

"Put down your shears." The two looked up as a older man appeared in the doorway, the spears slowing retreating back into position. The old man looked sickly, like all of the other residents in the village. He was totally bald, wrinkles were prominent on his face, and he wore dull gray clothes with an insignia on the left breast. They weren't sure what it meant, but it was probably a symbol for a higher up.

"Come in."

* * *

The only light in the hut was a few candles lit. Alyx and Morro sat on their knees on mats while the elder poured some tea for them.

"Ever since we have been seeing those demons, our people have been... Depressed. I'm sure you noticed it walking in." Alyx accepted the cup thankfully, the warmth from the tea a comforting feel.

"How'd it start?" Morro asked, accepting the tea from him. The elder sighed, taking his seat on the mat heavily.

"The demons have never actually come into the village, and yet..." He shook his head. "The children started to feel depressed first. They weren't eating, weren't sleeping, hardly even talking. They didn't want to play, and they just wanted to stay in bed. Then the teenagers, and then finally the adults begin to feel affected. While some are still trying to carry on their lives and provide for their family, it's been difficult to... Well, even think about waking up in the morning."

"So... In other words, you guys are cursed." Morro flat out said.

"I guess you could say that." The elder replied.

"You said the demons never came in the village, but you have seen them lurk?" Alyx asked, a gentle tone in her voice.

"Yes. They seem to be here almost here every day and they disappear into the forest. Then we don't see them at all until the next morning."

"How long have they been here?" Morro asked.

"Maybe... Two or so weeks?" Alyx leaned forward.

"Have you ever seen where they go? Maybe a location or an estimate of the area?" The elder looked down, his eyes getting a glossy tone to them.

"I'm sorry, but I don't. I wish I could help you more, but..." Although Alyx looked down at the news, she took a breath and stood, bowing lowly in respect.

"No, thank you for everything. I promise that we will do everything we can to lift this curse off of you and your people." The elder teared up.

"Thank you."

* * *

Morro sheathed his staff in holster, looking at Alyx as she circled several spots on the map.

"What are you doing?"

"According to some of the villagers that we spoke with today, all had a similar saying. They said that they saw multiple Oni in locations like these. If we manage to scout them out, and maybe figure out why they like this area, we could put a stop to them and lift this curse."

"Do you think it'll work?" Alyx sighed as folded the map, standing and sliding it into a slot underneath her chest plate.

"I'm not sure." Alyx looked to the forest, a distant and thoughtful look in her eye. Morro frowned, the image of Lloyd's calm face coming to mind after he apologized to him that night in the hospital.

Morro took a breath, before taking her arm.

"Well, what are we waiting for then?"

* * *

Misako set the kettle on the burner, turning it on to its right setting before gathering the tea bags to properly strain. Wu set down his pen, letting out a soft sigh.

"Doctor Lee called me today." Misako turned around, stirring the bags gently in circular motions.

"What were his final conclusions?"

"He would like to put Lloyd on medications for psychological support." Misako pursed her lips.

"I don't like the sound of that. I hate the thought of putting him on meds."

"I do as well, which is why I told him no."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"I see." Wu shook his head.

"I want to help him in any way we can without medication. If all else fails, then we'll resort to that, but right now I want to see if there is any other way we can help him." Misako nodded.

"I agree." She looked up in the direction of Lloyd's room, sighing. "My poor son..."

"We will figure out a way to help him." Wu reassured, setting his hand on her arm. "I promise." Misako smiled at him numbly, giving a slightly weak nod. Wu wrapped his arm around her gently as the kettle begin to blow softly, not enough to whistle, but enough to get their attention.

What were they going to do?


	26. Chapter 26

**I got a new laptop! So now I can have consistent updates on all of my stores. Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

 **I do not own Ninjago, it belongs to Lego and Cartoon Network.**

* * *

 ** _Chapter Twenty-Six_**

Alyx and Morro travelled through the forest in shadows, since their dragons wouldn't fit through the thick brush and it'd be less inconspicuous on foot anyway.

Light peeked through small cracks in the trees, but at least they had several hours of daylight to search with. It was peaceful and quiet.

Too quiet.

"So..." Alyx started. Morro looked over at her, raising his eyebrow. "Did you ever know who your parents were?" Morro shook his head.

"I've been an orphan since I was a baby. Wu was really the first parent that I ever had." Alyx let out a soft hum in response.

"I see."

"How did you learn dark magic?"

"Uh... It's a long story."

"We clearly have time."

"Um... I guess it was shortly after I came to the surface. I was homeless, trying to figure out where I was, and... I had the map to Four Weapons with me, as well as the map to the Monastery, but I didn't know what direction was what yet. I was homeless and hungry when... Well, when Klaus found me."

"Chen's second hand?"

"Yup."

"You trained with the guy who tried to kill all of the others?"

"Says the former ghost." Morro scoffed, mumbling something incoherently before looking back at her.

"Okay, so how long were you with him?"

"Maybe... A year or so?"

"Really?"

"Yeah. He trained me, helped me get back on my feet, and never discovered my actual powers. He did notice that I had potential and used it." Alyx sighed, lifting her hand and lighting the tips of her fingers with a purple aura. "It's strange having so much power at your fingertips. I know why people go mad." Morro stared at the aura before it went away.

"That's crazy." He muttered under his breath. Alyx simply laughed.

"Very." Morro sighed.

"Being corrupted by the thought that I was the Green Ninja pushed me to where I was way in over my head. After I came back and was captured, I did so much thinking and reflecting. I felt so bad and and I was just... God, it was the worst."

"I understand. To undergo something like that is traumatizing." Morro winced.

"Don't have to tell me about what's traumatizing." Alyx chuckled.

"Same here."

"I think all of us have had some sort of trauma."

"Probably." Alyx shook her head, a sigh escaping her lips.

"What's wrong?"

"I... I promised him, Morro. I _promised_ him, after the night he was almost kidnapped, that I would protect him. And then... I was the one who ended up hurting him." Morro looked at her again, taking in the white strands of hair that ran through the black and the skin color change. Had Lloyd been that affected after his possession?

They both suddenly stopped cold as a warmth passed through them, unlike the chilly breeze they had been feeling for the past hour or so. And the warmth was laced with power.

"Uh... What's that?" Morro asked.

"Power."

"Oni?"

"No... It's... Pure."

"Like good power?"

"Yeah." They followed the warmth as it got warmer and warmer until it was like a day in summer, the heat so powerful but so... Inviting.

A temple loomed ahead.

Alyx and Morro looked at each other before pressing on, and before they knew it, they were looking up at the massive, gorgeous temple before them.

"Oh, wow..."

"You can say that again."

The temple represented something of that of ancient times, yet it looked like something that was just recently built. Almost every color was incorporated into it. The shutters and tiles that decorated the outside were black. The porch was wood and painted a dreamy, almost blood red. The posts and railings were a smoky gray. Intricate insignias and designs were gold and embedded in the posts and railings. The doors, which were at least seven feet tall, were a tree bark brown, and gold and silver spirals and almost rune like patterns were engraved in the doors. Large, silver handles that curved outward were attached. The temple was maybe at least two or three stories tall. The top curved into a point all around, with a bell attached on top.

They gave each other a couple of glances before walking up the stairs.

It almost felt like a dream.

"The energy here is so... Pure and innocent."

"It feels like when Lloyd defeated the Overlord the first time. When his energy spread across the land, it felt almost exactly like this. It was... Amazing." Morro looked at her with a stunned look before they stopped at the doors.

"Are we going to do this?" He asked quietly.

"Hell yeah." Morro let out a small laugh before taking a breath and grasping one of the handles. Alyx took the other.

And with a nod, they pushed them open.

They let go of the handles as the doors opened pretty much automatically, revealing a dark hallway. Alyx glanced over at him, lifting her hand and lighting it up in a ball of fire before stepping in.

 _"Alyx Biles, daughter of Ray and Maya Biles, sister of Kai and Nya Biles, Twin Master of Fire and Water."_

Alyx froze before turning to look at Morro, who looked just as shocked as she was. Her eyes flicked around before they landed at him again, nodding slowly.

"Come on." Morro hesitated, showing it in his movements, before he took a step forward, and stepped into the temple.

 _"Morro Claudius, son of Madeleine Claudius, Master of Wind."_

Hearing his mother's name struck something in his heart for some reason. Maybe it was because he had never known her and never knew what she looked like, or maybe it was because she just simply disappeared from his life when he was a baby. But knowing now... Knowing what her name is now, is maybe the first step to finding her.

"Your last name is Claudius?" Alyx snicker brought him out of his thoughts, and he looked at her, squeaking in indignation, red burning on his cheeks.

"Apparently!"

"Ha!"

"Shut up!" Alyx simply laughed, sidestepping his swat and taking a few steps back from him. He huffed as he turned his head away, crossing his arms with a pout.

"Okay, Morro _Claudius,_ let's figure out what this place is and what it holds... And why it knows our names."

"Good idea."

Alyx's fire only provided so much light. As they walked, Morro tried to get glimpses of the inside designs and architecture, but it was still too dark.

"The power must be why the Oni are here, I think." Alyx said after walking down the hallway for a few minutes.

"Really? But wouldn't they be attracted to more dark energy then anything else?"

"Power is power, no matter what. With a little simple trick, it can be converted. My guess is the only reason they haven't found it yet is because it's a pure power, but it won't take them long to find it. Not with how they are."

"Morbid."

"Yup." After a few more steps, they came across two hallways, splitting off to their right and left.

"Left or right, Claudius?"

"Stop it." He hissed before glancing back and forth. "Right."

"Let's-a-go." She said in a terrible Mario voice. Morro snorted as they turned. Alyx increased the intensity of the flame, and it lit up the corridor way better than before.

"Why couldn't you have done that before?"

"Because the doctor wants me to conserve my energy until he clears my health back to one-hundred percent."

"Oh." Alyx lifted her hand to cast the light over the walls to reveal portraits of older men and women clothed in older styles of ninja like uniforms.

"Whoa..." Morro said in awe.

"What is this place?" Alyx muttered, turning to face one portrait of a woman. She had blonde hair in cascading waves, bright blue eyes that seemed to shine even though it was just a picture, and a blue ninja uniform with lightning bolts draped across the front lapels. Morro leaned down to read the shiny copper plaque underneath.

"Emily Isla-Gordan, Master of Lightning, wife of Cliff Gordan, and mother of... Jay Walker-Gordan. Status... Deceased." Morro drifted off, turning his head to look at Alyx, who wore a stunned look on her face.

"Uh..."

"Jay's... Mother?" Alyx stared at the portrait a little bit longer before turning around and walking to the opposite wall, holding up her hand to show a older man. He had aged well, almost not a single wrinkle visible. He had dark brown hair, grayish blue eyes and dark skin. His uniform consisted of just being a mix of black and brown, with a simple rock picture in a circlet on his belt.

Morro walked over to look at it, leaning down again to read the plaque.

"Grayson Hence, Master of Earth, grandfather to Cole Hence, status deceased."

" _Grand-_ father?" Alyx gasped. "Oh my god, this must be the hall of the first masters."

"Seriously? If that's so, we need a damn light in here."

At the mention of the light, there was a small sound of a click, before light flooded the building. The two winced, the flame on Alyx's hand distinguishing. Rubbing their eyes free of the sudden brightness, they opened them to see the hall extended down before ending, a portrait sitting perfectly in the middle.

As they walked down the hallway, they took in the beautiful portraits displaying the previous elemental masters, and the beautiful architecture around it.

"Do... Do you think the First Spinjitzu Master built this?" Morro asked as he stared at the former Master of Ice.

"I mean, maybe...?" Alyx drifted off as she came across a woman, a weight settling on her heart as she read the plaque. "Morro, come here." He looked up, walking over. The woman had black hair tied back in a French braid, a simple green flower pinned to the side of her head. Her eyes were lime green and her skin was a light tan. Her robes were purple and green, with the simple Wind symbol pinned to her chest. Alyx read the plaque out loud.

"Madeleine Claudius, Master of Wind, mother of Morro Claudius. Status... Deceased." Alyx looked up at Morro to see what kind of face he had on, but she wasn't sure what to call it. She wasn't sure if he was sad, conflicted or mad. Maybe all three, but the face he had on was just... Unreadable.

Morro lifted his hand and placed it on the portraits frame, closing his eyes in silent respect. Alyx stepped back to admire him. With all that he went through, he still was able to show respect to his mother, who had abandoned him and left him to fend for himself.

Wow, he had come a long way.

Then again, everyone in the group had.

Alyx stepped away to let him have his moment, before turning around, and spotting her parents' portraits. She walked over, taking in their still kind of young appearance.

 _Ray Biles, Master of Fire, husband to Maya Biles, father to Kai, Nya and Alyx Biles. Status: Alive._

 _Maya Biles, Master of Water, wife to Ray Biles, mother to Kai, Nya, Alyx Biles. Status: Alive._

What was interesting was their plaques and frames seemed to glow a bit compared to the others. Different, but interesting.

Morro gently laid his hand on her arm to let her know he was there. Alyx smiled softly at him before they turned their attention to the last portrait on the wall, walking up to it and frowning.

It was... Blank.

"Uh." Morro winced. "Shouldn't there be a picture here or something."

"Yes...? Maybe? I don't know. Maybe it was meant to be blank."

"Seems weird."

"I know right?" Alyx turned around, staring down the other hallway. "Wanna... Go see what the other hallway is?"

"We're already here, so why not?"

"Let's hope it's nothing weird."

"Pfft, right?"

They walked down the hallway, keeping their eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary. The architecture was just as magnificent as the outside. Gold, silver, copper, platinum, even titanium surrounded them in different objects. Elaborately engraved pillars stood against the corners of the walls of all four hallways. Light lit up the hallway as the crossed into it, and a weird chill ran up their spines.

"Okay, I hate that feeling." Morro commented, and then jumped, bumping into her accidentally.

"Oof! Hey, what's up!?"

"Sorry. I just..." Morro pointed shakily. "That." Alyx turned her head to where he was looking, her eyes widening.

"Is that..."

"That's Ash, Master of Smoke." And as they looked, more current Elemental masters continued on. And then, they reached...

"Aww, look at this totally unflattering portrait of you!" Alyx giggled. Morro gasped, letting out a panicked squeak in reply.

"My nose is not that big!" Alyx snorted, trying to stifle her laughter, but it failed her and she just started giggling uncontrollably, making him redden darkly.

"Shut up! Brat!" Alyx simply stuck out her tongue before paying attention to the other portraits.

"Hey, look, it's Ashe and the girls." Alyx walked over.

"Ashe Mayfair, Master of Time, daughter of Adriana and Isaac Mayfair, sister of... Too Many siblings. Status, alive." Alyx chuckled. "Way too many siblings." Morro chuckled.

"Camille Tomaro, Master of Metal, daughter of Jacob and Illana Tomaro, sister of Cameron Tomaro. Status, alive." Morro tilted his head. "I didn't know Camille had a brother."

"She doesn't really talk about him a whole lot. They... They're a little bit apart."

"Oh."

"Yeah..."

"Well then." Alyx winced, remembering the huge fight they had gotten in before Camille joined Alyx on her "expedition". That... Was a long story.

"Diana Waynecroft, Master of Nature, daughter of Hazel and Liam Waynecroft, sister of Leona Waynecroft. Status, alive." Morro gaped. "Diana has a sister, too!?"

"Another sibling relationship broken up."

"Geez, does nobody in this group have any good sibling relationships? Except for you, Kai and Nya?"

"Uh... No, everyone else are only kids, so... No."

"Ouch."

"Yup!"

"Hey, look, it's Nya." Alyx chuckled.

"Wow, they got her features unusually well." Alyx shivered. "All of these are really well." Alyx stared at Nya's portrait, again noticing that this hallway was more lit. All of the portraits were lit, unlike the last hallway, and the plaques seemed to glow gently with power.

"I'm gonna guess since the last generation has kinda… What's the word? Died off, the last hall meant they were in memory, whereas this hall is like the hall of the living and current Elemental Masters." Morro commented out loud, reading the plaque of the Master of Mind.

"This is true." Alyx replied.

"Hey! It's you!" She stiffened before turning around and walking over, taking in her portrait itself.

"They even got your white hair." Morro commented in awe. "Wow."

"I'm creeped out. Really creeped out." Kai and the boys were next in line following the girls, the pictures depicting them as sophisticated men, when in reality, just last night, Kai ran after Jay for continuing to squeeze shampoo onto his head in the showers.

It was hilarious, and lightened the mood among everyone.

"Kai Biles, Master of Fire, son of Ray and Maya Biles, brother of Nya and Alyx Biles. Guardian of the Green Master. Status, alive." Morro frowned. "Guardian of the Green Master? What is that?" Alyx matched his frown, walking over to Cole, Jay's and Zane's. Their plaques said the same thing.

 _Guardian of the Green Master._

"Is it referring to Lloyd?" Alyx muttered under her breath. As she analyzed the portraits, she caught Morro staring at something in horror out of the corner of her eye. She stood up straight, following his eye and spotting it.

At the end of the hallway, shrouded by darkness, she could make out the outline of the glowing frame, and a...

"A coffin?"


	27. Chapter 27

**I do not own Ninjago, it belongs to Lego and Cartoon Network.**

* * *

 ** _Chapter Twenty-Seven_**

"Let's see if this works... Light."

At once, the lights overheard turned on, lighting up the coffin and the portrait behind it. The portrait was of Lloyd, the most happy, bright smile on his face, his green eyes so perfectly portrayed, every little feature about him well described.

 _Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon, Master of Energy. Son of Lord Garmadon and Misako Poller, grandson of the First Spinjitzu Master. The Green Master._

"Green Master... What the hell does that mean?" Morro asked. "And why is there a coffin in front of his picture?"

"It's not a coffin. It's a sarcophagus."

"Why?"

"I don't know." Alyx crouched, admiring the gold, green, blue, red, black and white jewels on the silver material. Morro crouched down beside her, reaching and touching some of the rune like patterns on it.

"What are these?"

"They seem like runes, like magic runes. But I've never seen them before."

"Huh..." A small passage sat in the middle, and Morro leaned in closer to see it better.

"Hey, can you read this? Looks like it's in an ancient language or something."

"Hm? Let me see." Alyx leaned closer, Morro taking a few steps back to let her see with better light.

 _"Those who deem,_

 _make it keen,_

 _for when it comes,_

 _hide,_

 _for the Halfblood has been born,_

 _and will bring disaster and pain,_

 _for the Age of The Green Master is upon us."_

They stared at the passage for a long time before their bodies just went numb, and they just sat on the ground, staring at the sarcophagus in shock. Their brains were working, trying to figure out what the hell it meant, before Morro whispered quietly:

"Lloyd...?"

* * *

Maya watched out of the corner of her eye as Lloyd rubbed his throat, probably still upset he couldn't speak at all, but he was healing. They had a theory that his powers were helping his body mend back together, trying to help heal him at a faster healing rate unlike normal humans. They also maybe assumed it was the mix of Oni and Dragon blood, but they weren't too sure on that one.

It'd been almost a day since Alyx and Morro left on their trip, and she hadn't heard anything yet. Although she trusted Morro and Alyx both, she just had a small feeling of fear rooted in her stomach. It's not that she didn't know they were powerful, they could handle themselves alright, but at the same time, if they came in contact with multiple Oni, Harumi, or even Garmadon himself, what would they do? Fight or surrender? The doctor still hadn't cleared Alyx to go all out with her powers yet, and Morro was still gaining the needed weight and health back himself. Although he could summon his dragon, no doubt it'd be a painful battle. For both of them.

Of course she was worried. Why wouldn't she be?

A tug on her sleeve pulled her out of her thoughts, and as she looked over, innocent, broken green eyes stared up at her. Oh, god, that hurts so much.

"What's wrong?" She looked down at the whiteboard, where he had written messily on it.

 **are u ok**

Maya let out a chuckle. "Of course. I'm alright." Lloyd gave her a frown. He didn't believe her. He quickly took the marker, erasing what he wrote and then wrote again.

 **u can tell me i won't mind**

"Well... I'm just a little worried is all." An eyebrow rose, the bandage moving with it. "Lloyd, you're not feeling good enough to know what's going on yet. I know you hate not knowing what's going on, but..." His shoulders slump, and then he nods slowly, quickly writing once more.

 **ok i understand**

Maya gently cupped his cheek, stroking it softly. The way he nuzzled against it caused her heart to jump a little bit.

God, why did Fate have to treat him so badly?

* * *

"Lloyd seems to be doing a little bit better." Misako said softly when they were around the dinner table that evening. The table shushed, putting all of their focus on what she had to say.

"His memory is slowly piecing back together. His wounds seem to be doing better, and the doctor wants to get him walking as soon as possible. As soon as Lloyd is ready himself, that is. It's... Going to be a long process." Everyone seemed to nod in agreement.

"Has he... Has he remembered what happened to him?" Hesitation laced Diana's question. Misako and Maya shook their heads.

"Thankfully, he has not yet. Sadly, we don't know what to do when he does remember, though. Doctor Lee said that something could trigger it, and we will have to make sure to watch out for what the trigger could be." Wu said from the head of the table. "I want all of us to watch closely."

"The only trigger I can think of is if he sees Alyx or something of the like." Camille comments, absentmindedly playing with her mashed potatoes.

"Why is it that Lloyd is always the target for suffering? He needs a huge break. Or, a permanent one at that." Kai mutters. "Besides, we all agreed we would keep them away as long as possible, right?"

"Yes, but they will have to see each other again. The Oni, nor Garmadon, will not rest until they find us once more." Ray replies, causing Kai to deflate. The table went quiet again before Nya spoke up again.

"Has anyone heard from Morro or Alyx today?"

"Only this morning when Alyx told me they landed in the village. Nothing else."

"I hate not knowing what's going on." Ashe grumbled. "For all we know, they could be in Oni clutches right now, and we don't know where they are."

"They're smarter than that. They know they're in a high risk territory. They will be aware of their surroundings more than last time." Cole pointed out. "Hopefully they'll update us tonight."

"Plus, we did reinstall the GPS trackers in their suits just the other day, so they're good to go and we'll know where they go." Jay pointed out, waving his fork around. This caused the mashed potatoes that were on his fork to fling across the table and hit Kai square in the forehead with an almost comic like _splat_. All movement and noise stopped in the room, and as Kai wiped the potatoes off his forehead, Jay was slowly standing to dart out.

"I'm sorry?" He squeaked out.

"Run."

The only thing you could hear was the sound of Jay shrieking as Kai chased him around the Monastery, his hands lit on fire.

* * *

As Jay cried into Nya's arms after nearly dying, Kai angrily scrubbed the dishes with Zane while everyone cleaned up around the kitchen and dining room. Pixal was in the control room, and Misako and Maya went to go check on Lloyd.

Everything was peaceful until Pixal called everyone to the control room.

Alyx and Morro were on the big monitor as everyone filtered in.

"Oh! You're not dead, thankfully." Camille sighed in relief, but still earned a smack from Diana. Alyx laughed.

"Not yet, sadly." Maya and Ray gave her a glare in response. Alyx cleared her throat awkwardly, Wu taking over.

"What is happening over there?" He asked.

"The villagers have all said that ever since the Oni arrived, about two or three weeks ago, the people have fallen under some sort of depression. We think it's the Oni presence, but we're not quite sure." Wu nods, a thoughtful looking overcoming his face.

"Have you found anything out?"

The glances didn't quite reassure them.

"We... Found some sort of temple." Morro replies, glancing at Misako.

"Whenever we find temples, they're never a source of good. Even the Temple of Light was weird." Cole comments, rolling his wrist in a matter of fact way.

"This is true. This temple... Well... I guess you would have to see it to understand. As soon as we figure out this problem with the Oni, we will have you come to check it out. It's... What's the word?" Alyx glanced at Morro.

"Informative?" He offered.

"Yeah, let's go with that."

"We understand. How long do you think you'll be?" Ray questions, looking at the pins on the map.

"Maybe a few days at most. The villagers were kind enough, even in their state, to set up a place for us. We're not coming back until we figure out this problem and help them." Alyx replied. "It's the least we could do."

"If you encounter any sort of danger, contact us immediately. Do you understand?" Maya said, rather firmly. Alyx flushed.

"Yes, Mom."

"Good." They both then hesitated at their next choice of words. Misako smiled softly.

"Lloyd is doing better. Doctor Lee agrees that he's healed enough to try to walk again, so we're starting on that tomorrow." They both sighed, nodding.

"Has he remembered anything...?"

"No. Which is good. We hope to delay it as long as possible and slowly ease what happened to him in. The doctor does not want to rush anything."

"Understandable." Alyx sighed, the exhaustion starting to show on her face. "Well, I guess let us know if there are any changes. We'll keep you updated throughout the next few days."

"Okay. Sleep well." Wu said. "Be safe."

"You, too."

With that, the call ended and the others slumped in relief, tension leaking out of their bodies.

"I hope they don't get into too much trouble over there." Ray muttered under his breath.

"Hopefully they'll be wise and avoid it." Maya replied.

"I mean, Alyx is pretty powerful." Camille pointed out. "And from what it sounds like, so is Morro. Ever since Alyx was cleared for training again, they've been just going at it nonstop. They got this."

"Camille is right. Alyx and Morro can handle themselves. If they decide that it's too much, they will call for backup." Diana added. "They'll be okay."

The moon was full and so beautiful that night.

All they could do was hope.

* * *

"Okay, Lloyd. We're just gonna go a few feet from the bed to that chair, okay? If it's too much, just tap me as rapidly as you can." Lloyd nodded in reply. "Alright then." Slowly, Yuki gently eased his legs out from under the covers so they were dangling off the bed. The burn had pretty much completely healed. Thanks to constant treatment, proper bandaging, and the right medicated ointment, it had healed to almost nothing. The scar that it left was pretty interesting, maybe with burn lotion it would slowly fade away. Other wounds had healed, and he was looking so much better. The good food that was packed with nutrients was helping him gain back the weight he needed, and so far he didn't look like a twig anymore. Unfortunately, his wrist was still in the cast. He would need to go back to the hospital to get some scans again, but until he was walking on his own, they weren't going to take him yet.

Lloyd stood up on shaky legs, but Yuki was supporting him well. Although he was super excited about being able to walk again, the actual action was sort of nauseating.

The first step was excruciating.

Lloyd's mind was torn between wanting to walk and not wanting to walk. His body was agreeing, probably not wanting to undergo another Blood Bath, even though he was not in any sort of danger.

Yuki didn't want Misako or anybody else in the room while they did this, just in case it went poorly and she didn't want any other stressors for him.

"It's okay, it's okay. Take your time, Lloyd. This is why we're going slow, so don't worry." He nodded, his legs trembling, but as the thought process begin to circulate, he was able to raise his foot slowly and set it down.

"Good job, good job. Keep that up."

Ten minutes. It took ten minutes to finally get into the chair. As he collapsed and panted in exertion, Yuki praised him for doing such a good job as she wiped the sweat from his face. Lloyd was giving his best lopsided grin, the exhaustion clear in his muscles and face.

"You did fantastic, Lloyd. You really did." He beamed up at her in reply. "We're going to do that every day until you're good enough to walk down the hall, okay?" He nodded in understanding.

"Okay, let's get you back in bed."

* * *

As soon as he got settled back in bed, he tapped against his throat, looking at her with a sad expression. Yuki picked up his whiteboard and handed it to him so he could write.

 **do u think ill ever be able to speak again**

"Oh, Lloyd. Of course you'll be able to speak again." Lloyd frowned. "I don't know when, but you will be able to speak again."

 **how come i cant**

Yuki winced. "It's... Hard to explain." He looked down sadly. "I would tell you, but... It's... Sensitive."

 **oh i understand**

Yuki smiled weakly, laid her hand on his head and sighed.

"I'm going to get you some tea, okay? I'll be back in a few."

* * *

Sleep wasn't very welcoming that night. Lloyd didn't know how long he laid in bed for.

It'd been... What? Three or four weeks since he'd woken up? As far as he knew, they were in the beginning of December, since it was cold outside and all of the plants were dead.

He just wanted comfort.

He hadn't seen the others since... Since...

Since when?

The time between after Alyx left after Kai and Nya were told she was his sister and to the time he woke up was... Empty. It was strange and he hated it.

Oh, he missed everyone.

And Alyx… He missed her cuddles and her warmth, even though they only cuddled once. He wondered how Kai and Nya were coming to terms to accepting her, and he wondered how everyone was doing themselves. Looking at his injuries made him think about after he was thrown around by his dad, but he couldn't for the life of him remember how he got them. As much as he tugged and tugged his memory, nothing would happen, and he'd be left to wonder. Not even his mom or Maya would tell him.

He _did_ have a freak out when he first woke up, but that was different. After being unconscious for so long, who could blame him? Nya did comfort him, humming the lullaby she used to sing to him when he was little and had nightmares, but that was so briefly. He needed to actually converse with people, and unfortunately, it seemed like neither Doctor Lee nor his family were going to let him any time soon.

He just wanted comfort.

Glaring at the ceiling, and probably already regretting it, he pushed the covers off with his one hand, and slowly swung his legs over the side. This was definitely going to hurt, but he needed to. He had to.

He slowly stood, using his nightstand as a support, and managed to shuffle, not actually walk, but shuffle to the wall where he braced himself heavily, already panting with effort. He walked alongside the wall, using his arm as though it was a hiking tool, before finally reaching his door.

Thank the FSM for new hinges.

The only obstacle was trying to figure out how to cross the courtyard without a crutch or a wall.

A long stick did the trick.

Lloyd was determined either way, and nothing was going to stop him. Not even the excruciating pain, or the little voice telling him to turn back. Nope. Nothing was going to stop him.

* * *

Wu held spars the next morning, putting the ninja up against Diana, Camille and Ashe to see how they fought. Alyx trained them well. They knew amazing offensive and defensive techniques. Their powers were strong and amazing. The combinations they could use without a second's hesitation was remarkable. Diana could summon plants from the ground using quick little motions of her hands. Camille could bend and use the steel in their blades and weapons to her liking, causing them to stumble and hesitant with using their weapons. Ashe would use little portals to step through and come out through, and occasionally even used them on her opponent.

It was most incredible.

Camille and Kai were facing off. His hands were lit up, having thrown his sword away since it was twisted in an odd shape.

A grin spread onto Camille's face, causing a scowl to cross Kai's face.

The sound of the door slamming open from the boy's side of the Monastery made the tension shatter like glass. Kai stumbled from his attacking position and all the steel in the area shattered from Camille being startled.

Misako stood in the doorway, her eyes panicked and teary.

"Where's Lloyd?"

"He's not in his room?" Maya asked as she stood up. Misako shook her head.

"I-I went in there to wake him up so he could eat breakfast, but he wasn't in bed. There's no blood, everything is in place... I-I don't know what happened." Cole gently laid his hand on her arm, immediately taking the lead to ease the worry.

"It's okay. Spread out. Cover every part of the Monastery, even the small caves. Find Lloyd."

* * *

Camille found him.

Found him curled up on Alyx's bed, clutching her pillow and hoodie, and in a deep, serene sleep. He was curled around her pillow, his cast laying on top of it while his good hand fisted it. He was actually wearing her hoodie, and looked so... Happy in his sleep.

Ashe took a picture to send it to Alyx.


	28. Chapter 28

**I do not own Ninjago, it belongs to Lego and Cartoon Network.**

* * *

 ** _Chapter Twenty-Eight_**

Lloyd was making excellent progress with his recovery. Wu and Misako were suspecting that the reason he was healing so fast was not only because of the forced bedrest by the doctor and them, but that the Oni and Dragon blood that flowed through his veins played a part as well. The ancient blood was probably forcing his body to heal at a higher speed than a normal human, so his wounds were healing well and to the doctor's and surgeon's standards. His wrist, however, was a different story. They weren't quite sure if it was because of the trauma it sustained, or because Alyx's strength was on a different level than they originally thought because the bones weren't healing as they thought they would, and upon his most recent scan, the pins weren't holding anymore. The surgeons were creating a surgical plan to figure out a better way to help his wrist, but all in all, it would probably result in another surgery. That was something they hadn't told Lloyd yet.

Other than that, after Lloyd's little escape, (he got _such_ an earful, from not only his mother, but from Kai and Nya as well), Wu and the doctor agreed that he was finally well enough to return socializing again. The ninja were absolutely ecstatic about the news, and decided to make his favorite dinner and dessert for the night. They had no idea when Alyx and Morro would contact them, or come back for that matter, so they had to focus on something positive, and Lloyd was just that.

* * *

Things on Alyx's and Morro's end, however, weren't as great.

Morro leaned heavily against the tree, his breaths coming out in short, pained pants. Of course he was so short of breath; he wasn't fully recovered from captivity. His health wasn't fully back, not to mention his powers were still quite weak and not up to par with how they were before his capture. Or before he was mortal again at that.

Alyx was in no better shape. She collapsed against the trunk, her face pale from running and the power she used to extract the energy from the temple. Morro's eyes drifted to the bottle clutched in her hands. It was the size of maybe a glass spice bottle, so it was small, but the energy that Alyx had used to extract just even a little bit was going to render her useless for quite a while, so there was that. But the golden matter that swirled inside the bottle caused Morro to have a little bit of hope. So maybe that wasn't for nothing after all.

Still, though, they had to get back to the village before any of the Oni managed to catch up to them, yet Alyx looked in no position to run.

"Are you okay?" Alyx looked up at him, blinking almost as if she hadn't heard his question, but she nodded a bit.

"Just tired." She replied, her voice hoarse. "We've gotta get to the village."

"Yeah. Here." Morro kneeled down, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her other arm around his neck. She gripped his shoulder with her hand, holding the bottle close to her chest with her other hand. All they had to do was get back to the village...

..Safely.

* * *

Okay, they were being a little paranoid since they managed to get back to their hut in one piece. A village medic came in shortly after their arrival was announced and she quickly checked them over, treated a few cuts and bruises they had and left. Then a villager brought them some food to eat and some relaxant tea so they weren't so on edge.

As they shed their armor and uniforms to settle in for the night, Morro looked over at the bottle, sitting perfectly fine on the table by Alyx's cot. The little wisps of gold seemed to dance in the bottle, swirling around the circumference and walls.

"So... I have a plan." He winced, looking over at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Is it a good plan?"

"...It's a plan."

"Oh, First..."

"Hey! Let me finish before you say anything." Morro let out a resigned sigh, but he gestured for her to go on, reaching down to untie his boots. Alyx inhaled, a moment of silence hanging in the air before she spoke.

"I want to put a shield over the temple."

The boot came flying off, landing a few feet away from him as he lost control of his hands once the sentence settled in his brain. Alyx stared at the boot, rather unamused, but looked over at him as he stared at her with wide eyes.

"You want to do what on the what?"

"I want to put a shield over the temple. A magic shield." Morro simply stared at her, opening and closing his mouth several times before he groaned.

"Okay, _please_ tell me there's more to that plan."

"There is!"

"Then continue." Alyx huffed, crossing her arms and sitting up straight, watching him stand and cross the room to retrieve his boot.

"Alright, here it is. We get there early in the morning before the Oni scouts begin their rounds. You keep a lookout while I begin the spell. A lot of my energy will deplete, so I'll need you to be fully charged and ready to make your power dragon right away. Once the spell is complete, we'll hop on your dragon, do several rounds around the area to make sure it worked, and once the Oni realize the power has vanished, they'll leave and the curse will be lifted off the village. How's that?"

"I can't believe I'm about to say this..." Alyx perked up. "Fine, we'll try it. How do you know it'll work?"

"Oh, I don't. I just have the spell, that's all. I've never actually done it before." Morro slid down his bed, covering his face.

"In the words of Jay... We. Are. So. Hooped."

* * *

They kept the plan going, though, even with Morro's insecurities. But he was sure Alyx was having some insecurities too, since she kept mumbling to herself all morning as they ate breakfast and got ready for the day. It had been too late last night to contact Wu and the others, as it had been a lot the past few nights, so they could only hope they were being trusted enough about this.

Morro still knew they would get a harsh scolding when they got back though.

They arrived at the temple about thirty minutes later, and after a quick scout to make sure there weren't any hiding Oni out there, Alyx stood in front of the temple, taking place. Morro stood nearby, clutching his staff in his hands tightly, keeping a close eye on the trees, but he couldn't help looking over at her as she kneeled and shut her eyes.

The slight breeze that was in the air halted as a gentle warmth cascaded through his body.

Alyx's hands lit up in a dark purple aura, before the aura expanded into smoke, and she begin to chant in a language he did not recognize. Probably some weird ass magical language. As he watched longer, the purple lightened to a bright white color, and identical color swirling ribbons begin to dance around the temple. Alyx clasped her hands together, her eyes opening and sending shivers down his spine.

They were completely white, glowing like Lloyd's does when he uses his power. But this... This was different.

Alyx let out a final chant, unclasped her hands and slammed them down on the ground, sending a ripple through the ground. A gold shield begin to cascade over the temple before touching on the ground, sending a shimmer through the dome. Unlike when they first found it, the temple's energy had completely vanished, leaving no one else to find it.

That was the hope anyway.

Alyx collapsed and Morro bolted over as she panted for breath, the light having diminished from her hands and eyes, and now she was too weak to move.

"You okay?"

"Y-Yeah..." She coughed. "We need to get out of here."

"Agreed." Morro immediately summoned his power dragon, wrapping his arm around her waist, and she managed to weakly drape her arm around his neck. He jumped, letting the wind carry them and land on his dragon. With that, they lifted into the air, and travelled back to the village.

* * *

The moment they landed and Morro got Alyx on a bench to sit, they immediately noticed something changed within the time they put up the shield and got back.

People were laughing, mingling, and kids were running around... Being _kids_ again. Unlike when they had first arrived and the people were depressed, the village was alive and happy once more. The market that had the vendor stalls was bustling. Baked goods that smelled amazing. Flowers that were so bright and perky. Handmade jewelry and clothing looked so perfect and finely crafted either hung on displays, or on mannequins to show them off.

For the first time in many, many years, Morro found himself...

Appreciative.

"Well, this is a change from when we first got here." Alyx coughed out. Morro snapped himself out of his daze, and turned around to look at her. She was in a poor state, pale and sickly looking at that. He kneeled in front of her, looking up at her.

"Do you want to rest before we head back home?"

"No." She replied instantly, making him frown. "We'll talk to the elder of the village quickly, and then leave. We've been here for a week, so we shouldn't delay return any longer." Morro pursed his lips in disdain.

"I don't like that."

"Morro..."

"Hey, not either of us are fully well enough, so..." Alyx huffed, crossing her arms. "Pout all you want."

"I will." She went silent, shutting her eyes for a second before sighing.

"Fine, we'll rest up, but we leave before sundown."

"Deal."

"There you are!" Morro turned as the elder of the village walked up, flanked by his two guards. He, too, looked happier than when they first sat down with him. Morro bowed his head in greeting and Alyx gave a weak wave.

"Oh my. Are you alright?" The elder asked.

"I'm alright. Weak. We managed to clear all the... Demons that were lurking around the village. You all are safe." The elder smiled, bowing in appreciation.

"We appreciate everything you have done for us. You need to rest, Miss Alyx. Guards, please take her to her hut." As the guards walked up to help her up, she couldn't do much to complain. The elder turned to Morro, who was watching her slowly stand, his hands shyly tucked to his stomach. Well, all of him was shyly tucked to himself.

"And you. How about a walk through the market while she rests?"

"Um... Yeah, sure."

The market was bustling, kids running through and laughing with bright, cheerful smiles on their faces. Morro couldn't help but smile himself. The smells of the goods were on par with Zane and Pixal's cooking. He was curious to look at the vendor selling some books, maybe get a gift for Wu or something.

"You remind me of someone I knew many years ago." Morro turned his head back at the elder, who was walking with his arms behind his back, his line of vision looking straight ahead.

"I do?"

"Yes." The elders sighed. "She used to be a villager here, when I was a teenager. She was young, about my age. When she was about fifteen, we cast her out, along with her partner, once we learned she had a strange sorcery over the wind."

Morro froze, stopping short in his walk.

"...What?" The elder stopped, letting out a sigh.

"It was only after we discovered she was pregnant that we regretted it. But when I, the former elder's son, went to search for her, but soon found her with others that held powers over other elements as well. And... By the time I found her, she had the child." The elder gave him a onceover. "My, how you've grown."

"You... You knew my mother?" The elder smiled.

"A kindred spirit. Smart, funny, could put you in your place very quickly. I didn't know her all that well, just... Of her. When I heard of her death, well..."

"How... How did she die?"

"I believe she passed during the Serpentine Wars." Morro stumbled, leaning against the side of a hut. The elder quickly went to go stable him, but paused, looking at him, unsure of what to do.

"Oh." Was all Morro said. "Um... Thank you... I... Appreciate it." The elder nodded, looking ashamed of what he just said. But Morro shook it off, mentally noting the information and hoping he could ask Wu about it when they got... Home.

Huh. That was a new term.

* * *

Alyx sat behind him as he rode them home on his dragon, sitting back to back. She munched on an energy bar as he steered, looking at the bottle of energy she extracted.

Morro, on the other hand, was quiet as he mulled over the elder's words. He was too stunned afterwards that he didn't have time to look at any of the stalls, but the villagers were kind enough to send them some gifts as thanks for saving their village. So, at least there was that.

"You doing okay, dude?" Morro lifted his head at Alyx's voice, shaking his head out of his stupor.

"Yeah, I'm... Okay."

"You sure?"

"...My mother was a former villager at Yuki Village."

"Madeleine?"

"Mhm. She and my father, apparently."

"How do you know?"

"The elder told me. After you went to go rest, we took a walk. He told me that I reminded him of a former villager, someone who held a power over the wind." He sighed. "I guess she joined the elemental masters before the Serpentine War, and passed during it... That's why I never knew her. I was just a baby."

"And all this time... You were thinking she abandoned you."

"Yeah... Exactly..."

"Are you gonna talk to Wu when we get home?"

"Yeah. I think so."

"'Ight. Do you need backup?"

"I'll be alright. Go be with your brother and sister. They probably wanna know more about you." Alyx shifted behind him, going quiet all of a sudden. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"You sure?"

"I just... I dunno… They say they want to know me, but I just..."

"You're unsure."

"Yeah."

"Okay... Um... I guess just take things slow? Let them show that they want to know you?"

"I... Guess I could. Hey, why are you giving _me_ family advice?" She turned, pinching his side.

"Ow! Hey!" He batted her hand away, laughing. "I was just giving you a little bit of advice."

"Fine, fine. I'll take it, weirdo."

" _You're_ the weirdo." Morro mumbled under his breath, before they fell into a comfortable silence. A little later, he felt Alyx slump against him, her breathing slow and gentle.

Oh well. She just performed a giant spell. Might as well let her sleep.

* * *

"Our scouts have returned from the north, my Emperor."

Garmadon let out a small hum, before gesturing to let them in. The sorceress nodded to the guard, and the door opened, the lead scout walking in nervously before falling to his knees in a deep bow.

"My Emperor." He greeted.

"How did it go? Did you find the cause of the energy?"

"We... Did."

"And? What is it?"

"It seems to be a temple of some sort. However, any time that one of our own got near it... It evaporated them."

"A temple, you say?"

"Yes." The scout hesitated. "The ninja know of it too, and seem to have cast some sort of shield around it." The sorceress hissed.

"That little brat must've recovered." The scout nodded.

"It seemed to be the one Milady took as her vessel, and one of the former prisoners. The Master of Wind, I believe."

Garmadon was silent as he mulled it over, his lower two arms crossed behind his back, and his upper two crossed in his front. He let out a hum, before waving his left lower hand.

"That's fine. Return to the army. Leave that area alone, but keep an eye on it. The ninja may return to it. On the other hand, prepare for the next phase." The scout stood, glancing at the sorceress before bowing once more and leaving, closing the door behind him. The sorceress growled lowly.

"I want to teach that little brat a few lessons."

"And you will get that chance. Have you made any headway on your investigation?"

"I have." The sorceress licked her lips as Garmadon turned to her.

"And?"

"It is possible... To turn the beloved Green Ninja into one of us... The Green Master."


End file.
